This map from a modern school-atlas covers the Ukrainian Revolution and its struggle to preserve the independence of the Ukrainian State. The yellow background indicates ethnic Ukrainian areas. The broad orange line designates the borders of the 'Ukrainian People's Republic' after the proclamation of its independence by Mykhailo Hrushevsky in January 1918 and the broad grey line the 'Western Ukrainian People's Republic' after November 1918. The two Ukrainian states proclaimed a union in January 1919, but political integration was prevented by ongoing hostilities with Polish troops. With Crimea and Kuban there were negotiations for a federation. Ukrainian-Russian relations had deteriorated after the Bolshevik coup of October 1917 and the following civil war between the red and white armies. Ukrainian nationalists were split between revolutionaries and their counterparts as well. From 1917 to 1921 Kyiv changed hands many times before it came under final Bolshevik control. Lenin realised that the Communist Party had neglected the nationality question, thus Soviet Ukraine became formally independent within the USSR.