Ukraine Celebrates National Flag Day
Ukraine celebrates National Flag Day on 23 August. The main national symbol has accompanied Ukrainians on their way to independence despite all the prohibitions. Today, the blue and yellow flag represents the struggle for freedom.
‘The historical path of Ukraine and the spirit of our national colours have taught us that what is Ukrainian goes up, that Ukraine is strengthened and achieves its goals only when our people are truly together. In unity - for the sake of the blue and yellow flag and Ukraine,’ President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the ceremony of raising the Ukrainian flag.
The President thanked everyone who is fighting and working for our country.
In 1992, the Verkhovna Rada approved that the national flag of Ukraine is a rectangular cloth consisting of two stripes: the upper one is blue and the lower one is yellow. However, the use of national symbols in this form began long before that.
Blue and yellow was the official flag of Ukrainians during the national liberation movement in the early twentieth century (UPR, ZUNR, Hetmanate). In 1918, it accompanied the soldiers of the UPR's Active Army, the Ukrainian Galician Army, and the ships of the UPR's Black Sea Fleet. In 1939, blue and yellow was the flag of Carpathian Ukraine.
The Ukrainian flag first appeared over Lviv City Hall in 1848. During the events of the national revival in Galicia (the ‘Spring of Nations’), the Main Ruthenian Council adopted the national symbol.
After the establishment of Soviet rule in Ukraine, the national flag was banned. Its use could lead to imprisonment. The KGB closely monitored such ‘anti-Soviet’ manifestations, but this did not stop patriots. Banners were hung in many cities across the country.
On the occasion of the adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of Ukraine on 24 July 1990, a blue and yellow flag was raised over the building of the Kyiv City Council, where a rally of thousands was held.
On 23 August 1991, the blue and yellow flag was brought to the Verkhovna Rada building. The next day, Ukraine proclaimed its independence and the flag covered the parliamentary rostrum.
It was in honour of the events of 23 August that the National Flag Day of Ukraine was established.