Kyiv Liberation Day without commemoration: is there a place for new heroes in this history?
Today we should be celebrating one of the most important days in the history of our country – the Day of Liberation of Kyiv. It is a reminder of the enormous feat that our fathers and grandfathers performed when they liberated the capital from the German occupiers. However, the information space is silent, there are no celebrations, no events, not even a flower-laying ceremony at the monuments to the fallen heroes. How did it happen that we forget about those who gave their lives for the freedom of our land? Today is the time to think about what we lose when we remain silent on such days.
A forgotten holiday
The Day of Liberation of Kyiv is a date that should be celebrated throughout the country and honoured with gratitude. However, instead, we see silence, the information space hardly mentions this day, and many people do not even know about it and do not think about its significance. The information space is silent because there seems to be nothing to talk about, some media outlets only wrote that there is such a day in our history. There were no solemn ceremonies, no commemorations of the fallen heroes who liberated Kyiv from the Nazis… There were no flowers laid at the monuments, no words of gratitude or memories that would remind us of that difficult and bloody path to freedom for our country. The memory of the great feat that cost thousands of lives fades into silence. But this event is not just another historical fact. It is a page written with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers who gave their lives in battle to make Kyiv and Ukraine free.
Kyiv was liberated on 6 November 1943, when the troops of the First Ukrainian Front under the command of Army General Nikolai Vatutin broke through the German defences. The operation to liberate the city was part of the Kyiv Offensive, which lasted from 3 to 13 November, and was of both strategic and political importance. The Soviet command set an ambitious goal: to take Kyiv by 7 November, so that the capital of Ukraine could be liberated on the anniversary of the October Revolution. As a result, the pace of the operation became merciless, and the cost of victory was extremely high for Ukrainians. About 417,000 soldiers and officers died in the battle for the Ukrainian capital, although some historians argue that the number could have been much higher, perhaps even up to a million. Today, it is believed that such significant losses could have been avoided by not conducting such a crucial offensive in a hurry.
The crossing of the Dnipro, which was a key part of the operation, was not just risky – it was a real ‘death operation’. The soldiers had to cross the river under fierce enemy fire, without sufficient means of crossing and even sometimes without proper weapons. People went forward into the water, realising that their chances of survival were slim. For those who did reach the other side, the battle was just beginning – they faced fortified enemy positions, minefields and fierce fighting for every metre of land.
Kyiv itself, under Nazi occupation since 1941, suffered terrible losses: during the occupation, the Nazis killed more than 195,000 civilians, and more than 100,000 Kyivans were forcibly deported to Germany for forced labour. Before the war, the population of Kyiv was about 900,000, but after the occupation and destruction, the city was left almost empty.
It is symbolic that more than 2500 soldiers were awarded the Gold Star medal for the liberation of Kyiv, and 65 military units and formations were given the honorary title of ‘Kyivan’. It is noteworthy that the first big salute of the war was fired in honour of the liberation of Kyiv – 24 volleys from 342 guns, which became a symbol not only of military victory but also of incredible human courage.
Ignoring our own past
The silence of the authorities and society regarding the memory of our heroes is not just an unfortunate accident, but a wake-up call. The days when we should be bowing our heads to those who gave their lives for our freedom are passing quietly, without due attention, without celebrations and commemoration. And it is not only in Kyiv – in many cities of Ukraine we see a gradual devaluation of heroic dates. It seems that these pages of our history are becoming inconvenient, unfashionable or even redundant. What is this but a complete disregard for our own past?
Many people believe that honouring the heroes of the Second World War is just an echo of Russian ideology. But this is a misconception that deprives us of a connection with our own history. Yes, Russia has monopolised the symbols of the Second World War and turned them into a tool of its propaganda. But this is not a reason to abandon the memory of our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, who were also part of this battle, defending not other people’s homes, but their own, their land. Ukrainians suffered like no one else in that war: they fought, died and lost about 8-10 million lives – almost a quarter of the population at the time. And it was not someone else’s war. It was our ancestors who fought and gave their lives so that we could live today. Why should we ignore their feat? Ukrainians who suffered from this war have every right to honour their heroes of the past war. This is not a foreign ideology – it is part of our national roots.
We have no reason to forget those who helped us live today. They fought for the freedom that we are defending again today. Honouring their memory is not about Russian propaganda, it is about us and our gratitude. We live in a country that is once again fighting for independence, where the word ‘hero’ has once again become part of everyday life. And at this very moment, honouring our ancestors who laid down their lives for a free Ukraine should serve as an example, a source of inspiration and strength.
Some may say that it is not the right time to celebrate, as mass events in times of war can be dangerous. But does honouring heroes mean only mass actions? Are laying flowers or saying a few words of gratitude excessive? Especially when we see that other events, such as gay pride parades, can still take place, even in times of war. It seems that we are selectively determining what is ‘relevant’ and what is not. And in this choice, the memory of those who died for our peaceful life disappears without a trace.
It is particularly striking that at a time when Ukraine is forgetting about its own heroes, our high-ranking officials find the opportunity and inspiration to honour heroes abroad. For example, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiga, started his day in Pretoria by laying flowers at the monument to Nelson Mandela. Yes, he is a symbol of the struggle for justice, and his achievements are worthy of respect. However, it turns out that by honouring foreign heroes and paying tribute to the symbols of other peoples’ struggles, our own heroes are forgotten.
How do they honour their heroes abroad?
By the way, how do they honour their heroes abroad? They never forget them. In the UK, Remembrance Day is celebrated annually, during which the streets are decorated with symbolic red poppies. On 11 November, the anniversary of the end of the First World War, thousands of Britons join ceremonies across the country. Even television channels stop broadcasting for a minute’s silence, and representatives of the royal family lay flowers at the memorials. It is important that people of different generations come to honour the dead, which confirms that for the British, the memory of heroes is part of their identity.
Germany, which today is one of the symbols of democracy in Europe, has a deep respect for the memory of the victims of the Second World War. The Day of National Mourning, Volkstrauertag, is celebrated every year in November to honour the memory of all those who died in the wars. The government, members of the Bundestag, veterans and citizens gather at memorials to honour the victims of war and violence. Germany has come a long way in coming to terms with its history, but it is now an important part of its culture of remembrance.
In Poland, the Day of Liberation from Nazism is celebrated on 8 May. Poland, which suffered terrible losses during the Second World War, honours everyone who died for freedom. Commemorative events are held throughout the country, from large cities to the smallest villages, and Poles actively support initiatives to care for war memorials. It is a day when all levels of government, from the government to ordinary citizens, remember the deeds of their ancestors.
The United States also has a deep-rooted tradition of honouring the dead. Memorial Day in May is one of the most important dates on the American calendar, when people across the country pay tribute to those who have died in all wars. Every year, thousands of people gather at Arlington National Cemetery to lay flowers at the graves, and the military performs a salute. Americans understand the value of freedom and therefore attach a deep meaning to these ceremonies, paying tribute to those who have sacrificed for the sake of future generations.
As you can see, these countries do not forget about their heroes because they understand that remembering them is not a matter of politics or ideology, but a matter of national consciousness and connection between generations. No country can afford to ignore its history, let alone the sacrifices it has made. While abroad, the heroes of the Second World War remain revered symbols of national memory, in Ukraine, unfortunately, these dates are sometimes ignored. Such a contrasting difference in attitudes to history shows that we are at risk of forgetting our own heroes.
What do we lose when we ignore such important dates as today?
And here the question arises: what do we lose when we ignore such important dates as today? The lack of attention to the memory of those who died for Ukraine is not just a gap in our calendar, but a signal that we are gradually losing touch with our own history, that our heroes are becoming mere figures of the past, without much value for today’s society. At a time when we have the opportunity to learn from their courage, resilience and dedication, we are deliberately neglecting this legacy.
This silence and indifference threatens to cause future generations to lose all sense of connection to their roots and the history of their people. After all, if we are silent today about our past liberators, who will remember those who are currently defending our land tomorrow?
We should definitely remember their deeds! After all, it is thanks to them that we can feel part of a strong and unbreakable nation that has gone through and is going through the most difficult times. But if we do not commemorate the memorable dates, this silence will become a kind of renunciation, a rejection of our own history and hope for the future, the final point in the memory of those who gave us the freedom for which we are now fighting again.
If we do not stop and continue on the path we are on now, our modern war heroes will eventually be forgotten by their children and grandchildren. After all, without an example of honouring the memory of those who gave their lives for their country in the past, the next generations will simply not have it in their minds. By forgetting about our ancestors, we are laying the groundwork for the same treatment of our heroes of today. They will simply disappear from memory, turning into a distant, blurred fog that will leave no trace in the minds of future generations.
