Economically, Ukraine avoided the sharp downturns that bedeviled many European and other nations.

The hryvnia held its own as Ukraine’s leaders patched together finances without fresh International Monetary Fund credit, which was suspended in 2011. And Ukraine is establishing itself as a global agricultural powerhouse.

Politically, the nation’s voters showed that democracy is still alive. They decisively brought two new, energetic political forces into parliament: Vitali Klitschko’s Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms and Oleh Tiahnybok’s Svoboda Party.

Although the Oct. 28 parliamentary elections were unfair, they were not rigged either, with 40 percent of the seats going to the political opposition.

However, had the elections met democratic standards of honesty and transparency, the political opposition would most likely be in the majority.

Still, the administration of President Viktor Yanukovych wisely let the people’s will prevail in what appeared to be a reasonably honest vote count on the party list system, from which half the 450-seat legislature is elected.

Also, there are welcome signs of political pluralism among the oligarchs who had seemed to do everything in lockstep. Victor Pinchuk, Petro Poroshenko and Valery Khoroshkovsky all staked out varying positions of independence.

The free world also put Ukraine on notice that it has not forgotten human rights abuses, including the imprisonment of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. It’s a plus not to be forgotten.

The icing on the cake, of course, was Ukraine’s spectacular staging of the 16 Euro 2012 football championship games. Despite overspending, the nation achieved lasting benefits and showed it knows how to pull off a big event and please tourists.

Everything that came from the games – more English-language signs, better roads and new airports and stadiums – was positive.

Forced by increasingly high prices for Russian natural gas imports, Ukraine finally started taking baby steps towards energy independence by reaching agreements with Shell, Chevron and Exxon for exploration of new oil and gas deposits.

Even though European integration is painfully slow, the nation and the European Union initialed an Association Agreement that, if signed and adopted, would lead to a free trade agreement and easier travel abroad for Ukraine.

There were individual glories as well – at the summer Olympics, at the Paralympics, in chess and at the Junior Eurovision contest.

Also a group of innovative Ukrainian students won Microsoft’s Imagine Cup for inventing gloves that translate sign language into speech.

Government showed that it could change, simplifying the tax procedures so as to move up in the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking.

Moreover, Ukraine finally adopted a new criminal code that, while not going far enough to ensure justice, is a step in the right direction.

There are more achievements in all spheres. Not enough, to be sure, but still 2012 had its bright spots.