Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn (Ukrainian:Волинь, Russian:Волы́нь, Volyn'; Polish:Wołyń, Lithuanian:Voluinė or Volynė; Czech:Volyň, Hungarian:Volhinia, German:Wolhynien or Wolynien, Yiddish:Volin װאָלין‎) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe straddling Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. The alternate name for the region is Lodomeria after the city of Volodymyr-Volynsky (Vo-Lodymer), which once was a political capital of the medieval Volhynian Principality. It has changed hands numerous times throughout history and been divided among competing powers. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in ****, it has been part of the independent nation of Ukraine.