Ukraine (ヨウクライン, ウクライナ, Ukuraina) is a supporting character in the series Hetalia.
Appearance
- Main article: Uniform Guide: Ukraine
She has short blonde hair (which she keeps held back with a blue or yellow headband and clips), blue eyes, and wears a long-sleeved white blouse and blue overalls. Her most notable physical feature, however, is her large breast size, representing Ukraine's status as a major agricultural nation ("large tracts of land"). She can also be seen carrying a pitchfork at times and some Easter eggs.
In a sketch by Hidekaz Himaruya, she is shown to wear a long brown coat, pants, boots, and hat as her military uniform.
Personality And Interests
Ukraine is the oldest of the three siblings and is constantly getting dragged into some sort of mess. She is described by her brother as being very warm-hearted and motherly, having taken care of him and Belarus when they were little. He also notes that she's a bit of a cry-baby, yet with a big heart. She apparently has chest and back pains due to her assets. She was the one who gave Russia his scarf, which he continues to wear to this day.
Ukraine also shows maternal tendencies to other ex-Soviets, Poland, and to characters outside her family as well.
Russia also notes that she's a bit of a cry-baby and her heart is too big, making her an easy target. She desires to make friends in the West after her independence, but it appears she's struggling.
It is later stated in volume 3 notes and her volume 4 profile that despite her cry-baby appearance, she is also a 'fearsome' older sister and can stand her ground.
The Sealand and Latvia desktop mascot reveals that Ukraine is known for her surreal "guro" horror games.
Relationships
Belarus
Main Article: Belarus
Ukraine is Belarus' older sister. It's been shown that Belarus seems to scare Ukraine sometimes, however Ukraine is also noted to be worried about her. In their character song it's implied they have a rivalry over obtaining Russia's affections. However, she apologizes for being a "bewitching older sister", implying she'd like Belarus to be happy, too, even at the cost of losing Russia, although she seems to apologize over things she can't be blamed for, and this may also be a display of that.
Russia
- Main article: Russia
Ukraine is Russia's older sister and acted as a mother to both him and Belarus when they were younger and was the one who gave him his scarf. Though she wishes to be with him again, she either winds up running away at the chance due to the issues that arisen between them (such as paying for gas), or due to being blocked from seeing him in some way (such as her boss prohibiting her from giving him anything).
She at times tried to make him freshly baked snacks but was unable to give them to Russia due to orders from her boss. Despite that she has to keep distant from him on occasion, Ukraine is shown to spend time with him and even joined in the group costume for Halloween.
Hungary and Liechtenstein
Main Article: Hungary and Liechtenstein
The three of them seem to be good friends. In Volume 4's "A History of Interesting Clothes," they had a friendly chat about the dressing costumes in their countries. They even refer themselves using nicknames rather than their full names.
Appearances
Manga
Since her debut in volume 2, Ukraine had not appeared substantially until volume 4.
Anime
Ukraine makes her debut anime appearance in Episode 42, which adapts Russia's Big and Little Sisters from volume 2 of the published manga. In the episode, she is unable to come up with payment for gas due to her poverty situation and is later forbidden from sharing milk with her brother by her boss because of the gas conflict.
She wears a different hairstyle as a child in Episode 43.
In the anime adaptation, her headband was changed to yellow while her hair became more of a platinum shade. Sound effects were also added to her movement for further elaboration on her large breast size.
In the first episode in World Stars, she sat next to Belarus, made a non-speaking cameo during the world meeting.
Name
In a blog post, Himaruya listed Irunya Chernenko, Maria, and Sofia as names he liked for Ukraine. Irunya, however, is a diminutive, and her full name would be Iryna.
Some Japanese fans in the early fandom coined the nickname Katyusha, potentially because in Japanese the name is written like カチューシャ (kachūsha), which means headband. The name Katuysha is also a diminutive for the Russian name Yekaterina, however, it is strongly advised against using Yekaterina or Katyusha as a name for Ukraine because it is in fact Russian. Instead, the Ukrainian versions of Kateryna, Katrusya (a Ukrainian diminutive of Kateryna), Katya, or Katia are preferred, if one choses to use this name rather than one of Himaruya's suggestions.
Character Songs
Carrot and Stick (featured)
Gallery
Trivia
- Ukraine's birthday corresponds with the date of its independence from the Soviet Union, August 24 (shortly before its complete dissolution in December 1991).
- She appears in a concept sketch for Gakuen Hetalia.
- The "desktop mascot" of Latvia reveals that Ukraine is known for its surreal "guro" horror games.
- Although her breast size is one of her notable characteristics, early draft sketches of Ukraine depicted her with a more average bust. In the special edition booklet included with Hetalia: Axis Powers volume 3, Himaruya stated that though she was always intended to be a crybaby, she was originally unluckier and more put-upon along with her chest being smaller.