Conversation so far:
When did Ukrainians initially get Ukrainians's ethnic/national identity?
Even after Joseph Stalin's death the concept of a Russified though multiethnic Soviet people was officially promoted.
What were the different ethnicities included?
according to which the non-Russian nations were relegated to second-class status.
Despite this, many Ukrainians played prominent roles in the Soviet Union, including such public figures as Semyon Timoshenko.
What role did Timoshenko play?
CANNOTANSWER.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
The creation of a sovereign and independent Ukraine in 1991, however, pointed to the failure of the policy of the "merging of nations" and.

Question: What happened because of this?
Self-contained rewrite: What happened because of creation of a sovereign and independent Ukraine in 1991?