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DEOn August 24, Ukrainians celebrate one of the most important holidays — the Independence Day of Ukraine
For the third time, Ukrainians will celebrate the main state holiday, Independence Day of Ukraine, in a state of full-scale war. We asked Promote Ukraine volunteers whether the military actions affected the perception of the holiday, and we also asked them to recall the most memorable celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine.
Tetiana Vlizko, Member of the Board of Directors, recalls the day of the declaration of independence:
“In 1991, I was only 9 years old, and I studied in primary school. At the time of the declaration of independence of Ukraine, I observed how adults followed the news very carefully (especially my grandfather). Also, in those days, adults discussed this news very actively. And then, already at school, teachers explained to us that Ukraine had become independent. Back then in 1991, in my childhood no significant changes had taken place, except for the abolition of the titles “little octobrists” and “pioneers” at school”.
As Tatiana admits, the day of Ukraine’s independence was not a significant event for her, as she always felt herself only Ukrainian and always consciously chose Ukrainian (language, literature, songs). And this despite the fact that she lived in the Sumy region near the border with the russian federation.
Volunteers of Promote Ukraine also shared what the independence of our country means to them and whether their attitude toward it has changed after the start of the war in 2014 or the full-scale invasion in 2022.
“Independence is first of all about the freedom of thought, I want to hear the opinion of others and express my own. There were no problems with this until I saw that people are restricted in this regard in russia. I say this not because of the war but because I consumed a lot of Russian content and knew what was happening there. It scared me, even as a child, so I knew from an early age that the independence of Ukraine was a big breakthrough, and I am glad that I was born in a free country.
The years 2014 and 2022 did not change my view on the need for independence. I knew from childhood that it was impossible to return to the USSR (my grandparents and parents told me how bad life was for ordinary people then; my parents took me to the Orange Revolution when I was small, “Yushchenko tak (yes)” sounded more often from me than the word “mom”),” shares volunteer Olga Lukashchuk.
“Ukraine’s independence is an opportunity to identify our nation and preserve freedom and our traditions for the Ukrainian people and our future generations. I have always been proud to live in independent Ukraine. My attitude has not changed either in 2014 or in 2024. I have always felt a threat to Ukrainian independence from the russian federation. Their attack on Ukraine began much earlier — only the consequences were not as visible as now. Both before and now, I am sure that it is worth fighting for the independence of Ukraine,” says Tetiana Vlizko.
The volunteers also recalled the most memorable celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine.
Photo description: Tatyana Vlizko at the Independence Day celebration in 2013 at the BelgianArtZone office in the Trade Union building (which was destroyed during the Revolution of Dignity in February 2014).
“We always celebrated Independence Day with family, friends from school, university and work. The celebration was always held with a solemn program and city-wide entertainment programs. The last such holiday was in 2013, when we still knew nothing about the war. Since 2014, the Russian Federation has invaded the territory of Ukraine and is destroying Ukrainian cities and mass murdering Ukrainians. Since that period, we have been anxiously celebrating Ukraine’s independence day and dreaming of victory. Now, this holiday has turned into another symbol to remind Europeans about the war in Ukraine,” adds Tetyana Vlizko.
“The most memorable was the Independence Day celebration at the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria in 2017. My parents worked there, and I helped them with the organization. I was surprised that this holiday is celebrated at all. A large Ukrainian community gathered, everyone talked, got to know each other, and rejoiced. Theatrical show of the Cossacks from the island of Khortytsia also came to us. They demonstrated exercises in wielding a sword and a whip — everything that Ukrainian warriors of past centuries were good at. There I met a guy who has been living in Austria for many years. And he told me that every year they decorate the house in blue and yellow colors and arrange a real holiday! It amazed me, I didn’t think that anyone celebrates this day like that”, says Olga Lukashchuk.
On August 24, a concert by Ukrainian artists will take place in Brussels (Parc du Cinquantenaire), as well as a thematic fair of Ukrainian goods. Start at 12:00.
Photo: archive
A collection of stories gathered by Kseniia Breslavska