This is a list of individuals who were born and lived in territories currently in Ukraine, both ethnic Ukrainians and those of other ethnicities. Throughout Eastern European history, Ukrainian lands were ethnically and culturally diverse, with a number of other ethnic groups living among the Ukrainians. Originally united with Belarus and Muscovy under the state of Kievan Rus', a schism took place after the Mongol invasion, as the Muscovite lands stayed under Mongol/Tatar rule for another century and Ruthenian (Ukrainian/Belarusian) lands were taken over by the ascendant Duchy of Lithuania, as it helped Ruthenians drive out the Mongol invaders. During this time a language separate from Old East Slavic evolved on the territory of the progenitor Russian principality Muscovy, while a Ruthenian