Independence Day of Ukraine

INDEPENDENCE Day of Ukraine is celebrated annually on August 24 to commemorate the Declaration of Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It is a day for remembering the country’s heroes who fought and died to gain their country’s sovereignty.

Among the usual activities held to mark the day are parades, concerts, public markets and fairs, carnivals/circus performances, sports events, outdoor exhibitions, and fireworks. Many of the citizens will don their native costumes, and the Ukrainian flag will be proudly displayed throughout the country. The Independence Day festivities will also feature a fly-over of military aircraft and a demonstration of weapons and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other military units on Kyev’s Mykhailivska Square.

Ukraine is a country in Europe that shares land borders with Belarus in the northwest; Russia in the east, northeast, and south; Poland and Slovakia in the west; and Moldova, Romania, Hungary, in the southwest. To its south and southeast are the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, respectively.

Ukraine is the site of famous and reputable higher education institutions, which include: the National Technical University of Ukraine-Kyev Polytechnic Institute, the Ternopil National Economic University, and Zaporizhzhya National University. Its capital and largest city is Kiev, described as a “vibrant city” which is considered an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural hub of Eastern Europe. It is the seat of the executive head of state.

A prominent feature of this capital city is the 11th century Kiev Pechersk Lavra, a monastery and pilgrimage site made up of several gold-domed churches. The monastery is also famous for the catacombs lined up with the burial chambers of Orthodox monks, and a collection of gold objects from the ancient Scythian era.

Other interesting sites to see in Ukraine are the Mamaeva Sloboda open-air museum, which is a theme park that sits on 9.2 hectares of land and represents a full replica of a historical settlement depicting Ukrainian nature, architecture, and way of life; the Church of St. Cyril and St. Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria and Athanasius, with its unique mural; and the Chapel of the St. Catherine, a Greek Orthodox Private Chapel founded in 1738. Kiev’s extensive infrastructure and highly developed public transport system facilities the travel of visitors around the city.

Bilateral relations between the Philippines and Ukraine commenced on April 7, 1992, months after the Philippines recognized Ukraine’s independence on January 22, 1992. Ukraine has a Consulate Office in Makati City, Metro Manila, while the Philippines maintain a Consulate General Office in Kiev.

We greet the People and Government of Ukraine, led by President Petro Poroshenko on the occasion of its 27th Independence Day anniversary.