Not to be confused with Independence Day: what is the Day of Ukrainian Statehood?
15 July 2025 11:23
On July 15, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, a relatively new but highly symbolic holiday. It is intended not only to emphasize the millennial continuity of Ukrainian statehood, but also to strengthen the nation’s historical identity. At the same time, not all Ukrainians clearly understand how this holiday differs from Independence Day.
What is the essence of the Day of Ukrainian Statehood? Why is it celebrated on the day of the baptism of Rus, if the state existed before? And what does it mean for us today, in the midst of the struggle for the very existence of the Ukrainian state? Read the article by "Komersant Ukrainian"
What is the Day of Ukrainian Statehood?
Ukrainian Statehood Day is a public holiday celebrated annually on July 15. It was introduced by a decree of the President of Ukraine in 2021, and the first official celebration took place on July 28, 2022, the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus-Ukraine.
In 2023, as part of the transition to the new church calendar, the date of the celebration of the Baptism of Rus was moved to July 15. That is why since then, the Day of Ukrainian Statehood has also officially fallen on this day.
“Ukrainians were here, Ukrainians are here, Ukrainians will be here. And life always wins on this land, values and our character prevail,”
– said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his greeting today.
These words confirm that today’s holiday is intended to affirm the continuity of Ukrainian statehood – from Kievan Rus through the Cossack era, the UPR, the dissident movement, and to modern independent Ukraine.
Why does Statehood Day coincide with the Day of the Baptism of Rus?
At first glance, it may seem strange why the Day of Ukrainian Statehood is celebrated on the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus-Ukraine, a seemingly religious event. After all, the statehood of Kievan Rus emerged long before the baptism of 988.
However, the symbolic choice of the date has its own significance. Today, it is generally accepted that it was the adoption of Christianity by Volodymyr the Great that consolidated the state not only as a political entity but as a civilizational project with a common faith, law, writing, and international recognition. Many historians and statesmen would say that the Baptism of Rus’ was a turning point that formalized it as a full-fledged participant in the European cultural space, not just a military and political association of tribes.
That is why the idea of the Statehood Day is not so much about chronology as about civilizational awareness of the state as a phenomenon that has values, continuity, and identity.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
Not instead of, but together with Independence Day
Many people ask: why does Ukraine need another “state” day if it has Independence Day on August 24?
The fact is that these two holidays have different semantics.
- Independence Day is about the restoration of political sovereignty in 1991.
- Statehood Day is about the origins, depth, and historical continuity of the state tradition.
According to historians, the declaration of independence in 1991 did not create Ukraine from scratch, but restored Ukrainian statehood, which had existed for centuries in various forms-from Kievan Rus to the Hetmanate, the Ukrainian People’s Republic, Carpathian Ukraine, and beyond.
In a time of full-scale war with Russia, which denies the very existence of Ukrainian identity, emphasizing the historical continuity of statehood is of particular importance.
Kievan Rus as a point of support
In its statehood concept, Ukraine relies on the heritage of Kyivan Rus as the first form of state organization on our lands.
This has not only a scientific and historical but also a political basis. After all, the Kremlin is trying to appropriate the history of Rus’, presenting it as the “cradle of three fraternal peoples”, while devaluing the Ukrainian factor.
By celebrating the Day of Ukrainian Statehood on the day of the baptism of Rus, Ukraine articulates its continuity with Kyiv, not Moscow, and regains the right to its own interpretation of history.
The Statehood Day is also a reminder that the state is not just a bureaucratic structure or territory, but a common value that has been chosen and defended.
This holiday takes on special significance in times of war as an act of historical memory and a symbol of invincibility.
What do people do on this day?
Statehood Day is an official public holiday, but not a day off, according to the current legislation.
On this day, people organize
- solemn ceremonies, laying of flowers;
- speeches by top state officials;
- exhibitions dedicated to the history of Ukrainian statehood;
- public lectures and scientific conferences;
- educational events for schoolchildren and students.
Summary
The Day of Ukrainian Statehood is not a “double” of Independence Day, but a separate holiday with a deep meaning. It is not so much about politics as it is about memory and identity.
This is the day when Ukrainians can once again realize that their state is not an accident of the twentieth century, but the result of a thousand-year tradition, struggle, and civilizational choice.
And at a time when the Ukrainian state is once again being tested for strength, knowledge of its own history becomes a source of strength in the struggle for it.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
