On Friday, August 23, Ukraine celebrates National Flag Day, a holiday that symbolizes the centuries-old history of Ukrainian statehood and the indomitable spirit of the nation. This holiday was established by the President’s decree in 2004 to emphasize the importance of the state symbols of independent Ukraine and to educate citizens’ respect for national symbols. In 2009, the decree was supplemented, and since then, every year on August 23, the blue and yellow flag is solemnly raised throughout the country.
The blue-yellow flag has deep historical roots, dating back to the times of Kyivan Rus and the Galicia-Volyn principality. During the revolutionary wave of 1848, known as the “Spring of Nations”, the blue-yellow flag became a symbol of the Ukrainian people. For the first time, he floated over the Lviv Town Hall in June 1848. Later, this flag became the state symbol of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, despite the periods when it was persecuted.
The return of the blue-yellow flag as an official symbol took place in the recent history of Ukraine on March 14, 1990, when it appeared over the town hall of the city of Stryi. Later, on July 24, 1990, the flag was raised over Kyiv City Hall. On August 23, 1991, a group of people’s deputies solemnly brought a blue-yellow flag to the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada, and on September 4, it was raised over the parliament building.
With the beginning of the Russian aggression, the blue-yellow flag became a symbol of resistance and struggle for the independence of Ukraine. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and the Minister of Defense Rustem Umyerov congratulated Ukrainians on this important holiday. In their addresses, they emphasized that the National Flag of Ukraine is not only a symbol of freedom, but also a source of strength for Ukrainian soldiers who defend the country’s independence on the battlefield.
Syrian emphasized, that the flag is a symbol of victory, freedom and revenge against the invaders, and Umyerov added that this flag reminds the world of the indomitability of the Ukrainian people and their willingness to fight for every meter of their land.
On this day, Ukrainians honor their flag as a symbol of heroism and the will to victory, which unites the nation in times of trials.
