Ukraine 's declaration of independence in 1991 , backed nine-to-one by a referendum in December of that year , effectively dealt a death blow to the Soviet empire and ended more than three centuries of rule from Moscow .
<response> <location>Ukraine</location> 's declaration of independence in 1991 , backed nine-to-one by a referendum in December of that year , effectively dealt a death blow to the <misc>Soviet</misc> empire and ended more than three centuries of rule from <location>Moscow</location> . </response>