Due to the isolation of many of the Ukrainians in the mountains, the lands that today make up Ukraine became quite diverse as Tatars settled various areas, including the Crimean Peninsula, and the Russians began settling many parts of the country further east. Although many Ukrainians maintained their traditional lifestyle and culture, others adopted aspects of Russian, Tatar, and even Romanian, Hungarian, and Slovak culture.
Among the many outside influences, the Russian had the greatest impact; first in the growth of cities and urbanization, but later in the form of communism. Communism fought rural living (except on farms), fought independent thoughts, and destroyed numerous aspects of Ukrainian culture, including their traditional dress, culture, lifestyle, religion, and to a lesser degree even their language. People were forced to urbanize and take on industrial jobs as on a few occasions the people were starved due to a lack of food in the Soviet Union. While in many ways the Ukrainians fought these changes, the Soviets were quite successful at "Rusifying" many of the people as they had no choice but to submit.
With Ukraine's recent independence from the Soviet Union, local opinions are widely varied. Many people, including the ethnic Russians, seek the past lifestyle and social programs, while many others fight this culture, lifestyle, and mentality, which is sometimes viewed as Russian control over Ukraine. However, the Soviets encouraged Russian immigration to the country, making Ukraine a divided country today. This again leads to further division among the people in terms of both ethnicity as well as opinion.
Today some cultural aspects from the past have returned or survived, including many dialects and traditions found in the Carpathian Mountains. However, Russian culture is more common east of the Dnieper River as well as in some cities. There is also cultural division between generations as many older people prefer living under a more socialist system with social programs and security, while many young people seek greater economic and social freedoms as they look west towards Europe.