Independence Day of Ukraine

TODAY is Independence Day of Ukraine. The people and government of Ukraine commemorate the day in 1991 when its parliament declared the country independent of the Soviet Union. Today is a day for honoring its heroes who fought and died to secure their long-desired freedom. It is marked with a grand festivity throughout the country.

Ukraine is a sovereign state in Eastern Europe. It is bordered in the east, northeast, and south by Russia; in the northwest by Belarus; in the west by Poland and Slovakia; in the southwest by Hungary, Romania, and Moldova; in the south by the Black Sea; and in the southeast by the Sea of Azov. Kiev, its capital and largest city, is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center of the Eastern Europe. It is home to many high technology industries and world-famous historical landmarks. Its famous higher education institutions include: National Technical University of Ukraine Kyiv Institute Polytechnic, Ternopil National Economic University, and Zaporizhzhya National University. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro. Kiev Metro is the principal support of the capital’s public transport. It had the first rapid transit system in the country and the third one built in the Soviet Union (after the Moscow and St. Petersburg Metros).

Ukraine boasts of beautiful and awe-inspiring places with a great range of activities for tourists. Lviv, its cultural capital, is famous for its knaipas – local pubs that serve drinks and food. One of the most curious ones is Gasova Lampa (Gas Lamp) – a museum-restaurant with one of the biggest collections of gas lamps in Europe. The graceful domes of its numerous cathedrals and clusters of chimneys on its tiled roofs never fail to awe its guests.

The warm and friendly relations between the Philippines and Ukraine date back to April 7, 1992. The two countries have had periodic visits and exchanges of support in candidatures and other multilateral initiatives. Ukraine has a Consulate Office in Manila, while the Philippines maintains a Consulate General Office in Kiev.

We greet the People and Government of Ukraine, led by President Petro Poroshenko on the occasion of its Independence Day anniversary.