Ukraine

Ukraine (ヨウクライン, ウクライナ, Ukuraina) is a character in the series Hetalia: Axis Powers.

Appearance


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 today. He told Japan that it is part of his body, therefore he cannot take it off.

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.

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. Belarus says that she should burn in an oven for standing between her and Russia, while Ukraine replies that they should, instead, bake bread in the oven and be together.

There are also implications that Belarus has strange feelings for Ukraine. In her appearance in the Sealand and Latvia desktop mascots, a possible entry of her diary she'll read for you involves her spending three hours massaging Ukraine's breasts or stretching her headband. It also contained an entry in which she went through her garbage bags. There was also an intimidating shadow resembling Belarus creeping up behind Ukraine when Italy tried flirting with her.

Russia
Ukraine is Russia's older sister, and acted as a mother to both him and Belarus when they were younger. She 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 gave Russia his most frequently worn scarf on a brutal and cold day, but then told him he had to make Kiev successful in return, which Russia found "cruel-minded."

However, Russia does still care deeply about her.

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.

Name
In a recent blog post, Himaruya listed Irunya Chernenko, Maria, and Sofia as names he liked for Ukraine. Irunya, however, is a pet name of sorts, and her name would more accurately be Irina, Iryna being the Ukrainian variant.

Though no actual human name was given for Ukraine by Hidekaz Himaruya, Japanese fans quickly coined the nickname Katyusha as a it is diminutive form of the name Yekaterina, and a term for rocket artillery). Some fans would later expand on this and coin the name Yekaterina "Katyusha" Braginskaya, which has been used as a human name for her in various fanworks. Yekaterina is the Russian equivalent of the name Katherine, and is the name of a notable Tsaritsa, Catherine the Great (Екатерина Вторая).

Character Songs
Carrot And Stick (featured)

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 more unlucky and put-upon along with her chest being smaller.