Ukraine's independence-era voices say Russia's effort to keep control has lasted decades

Oleksandr Donii was one of the leaders of student-led protests for sovereignty and political reform in 1990 that preceded Ukraine's declaration of independence.

- AGENCIES

He remembers thinking the fight for autonomy would take decades.

Instead, it came much sooner than he ever imagined. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine quickly declared independence in 1991 and later conducted a referendum backed by more than 90 per cent of voters.

"I was preparing myself for prisons and labor camps, and I thought the struggle would last about 20-30 years," Donii told agencies.

As the country marks 34 years since that monumental event Sunday, Donii and others from Ukraine's first generation of lawmakers and activists describe how despite separation from the Soviet Union, Moscow's grip endured.