Independence Day of Ukraine

I was honoured to welcome the Ukrainian community in Oldham to the Civic Centre on Ukrainian Independence Day and raise the Ukrainian flag over Oldham. I sincerely hope and pray that the suffering of innocent people will end. War is never a solution. Wars kill innocent people.

Ukraine Independence Day takes place on August 24 and it marks the Ukraine’s declaration of independence from the U.S.S.R. in 1991.

The Soviet Union dissolved in the 1990s and on July 16, 1990, the Ukrainian government declared state sovereignty. A year later, July 16 was honored as Ukraine Independence Day. In August 1991, there was a coup to restore the communist rule in the Soviet Union, but it failed.

The flag of Ukraine has a deep historical tradition. In the 20th century, between 1917 and 1920, it became the national flag of the Ukrainian People’s Republic but was banned under the Soviet regime and became a symbol of the independence movement. The condition of the declaration was that a national referendum should take place on December 1, 1991, and there were fears that Ukraine could be divided into east and west. Over 80% of the electorate voted in favor of independence, with 92% voting yes. In June 1992, parliament voted for an amendment to the legislative, and July 16 was replaced by August 24 as Ukraine’s Independence Day.