The aim of the article is to present theory and practice of national branding, with Ukraine – not included in typical branding reports – as a case study. Theoretical background to the concept of national branding is presented in the first section of the article. The second part is focused on key international branding indexes and shows the differences and similarities among them, as well as their flexibility in responding to theory. The third part of the article is focused on the picture that one may draw about Ukraine and its image and brand from various international rankings that serve as a substitute for branding surveys