Ukraine celebrates Unity Day: what this holiday means and why it is important
22 January 08:44
On January 22, Ukraine celebrates Unity Day, a national holiday symbolizing the unity of Ukrainian lands and the people’s desire for an independent, indivisible state. It was on this day in 1919 that the Act of Unification between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic was proclaimed, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
Unity Day was officially established in 1999, given its key political and historical significance for the formation of a unified Ukrainian state.
The Act of Unification — a symbol of Ukraine’s unity
On January 22, 1919, in a solemn atmosphere on St. Sophia Square in Kyiv, the Act of Unification was proclaimed, uniting the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic into one state.
This event was the culmination of many years of unity aspirations of Ukrainians from both the Dnieper Ukraine and the western Ukrainian lands — Galicia, Bukovina, and Transcarpathia. The idea of unity had been forming since at least the mid-19th century and became fundamental to Ukrainian statehood.
“From now on, the parts of a single Ukraine that have been separated from each other for centuries — the West Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Dnieper Great Ukraine — are merging into one. The age-old dreams that the best sons of Ukraine lived and died for have come true. From now on, there is a single independent Ukrainian People’s Republic,” read the Universal of Unity, read out at the solemn assembly.
Why the Act of Unification was symbolic
Despite its enormous historical significance, the unification of Ukraine was mainly symbolic.
Just a few weeks after the proclamation of the Act of Unification, Bolshevik troops captured Kyiv.
Subsequently, Poland occupied Eastern Galicia, and Czechoslovakia occupied Transcarpathia.
However, the very idea of unity did not disappear and became the cornerstone of Ukrainian national identity in the 20th century.
The first celebrations of Unity Day
Unity Day was first widely celebrated on January 22, 1939, in Khust, then the capital of Carpathian Ukraine, which had the status of an autonomous republic within Czechoslovakia.
On that day, a 30,000-strong demonstration took place under blue and yellow flags, which became a powerful manifestation of national unity.
The “living chain” as a symbol of unity
One of the most striking events in Ukraine’s recent history was the “living chain” organized on January 21, 1990, on the 71st anniversary of the Act of Unification. Millions of Ukrainians from Kyiv to Lviv joined hands, demonstrating to the world their desire for freedom, independence, and unity.
This act of civic unity was a harbinger of Ukraine’s restoration of independence in 1991.
The significance of Unity Day today
Today, Unity Day is not only a reminder of the events of 1919, but also a reminder of the value of unity, territorial integrity, and shared responsibility for the future of the state.
In the context of Russia’s military aggression, this holiday takes on special meaning, symbolizing the indestructibility of the Ukrainian people.
