The article is devoted to the role of regional identity in the development of the socio-political crisis in Ukraine in autumn and winter of 2004, known in scientific literature as the “Orange revolution”. The authors analyze the controversial historical past of the territories that were united by the country that gained independence in 1991, and its influence on the development of processes in the field of national-state construction of modern Ukraine. The article considers the attempts of the Ukrainian authorities to develop a single national idea based on the concepts of “ukrainianness”, “sobornost” and unitarity. The leading role in this process was played by the most extreme western regions, which had their own, sometimes radically different from other regions of the country, interpretation of issues of historical memory. In practical terms, this meant the implementation of a policy of Ukrainization, especially in the field of education, which caused discontent among residents of Russian-speaking regions. The authors conclude that the unresolved problem of regional identity during the years of independence played an important role during the “Orange revolution”, which ended with an unconstitutional regime change in this Eastern European country.