On February 20, Ukraine commemorates the Day of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes. This memorial date honors the participants of the Revolution of Dignity who gave their lives in the struggle against the usurping regime of Viktor Yanukovych. On that day in 2014 alone, 48 protesters were killed, nearly half of all those who fell during the revolutionary events of 2013–2014.
Faced with an existential challenge, the nation united. People from different regions and professions, men and women alike, stood up to the aggressor and the usurper. During the Revolution of Dignity, Ukrainians proved that they sought a peaceful resolution, yet were prepared for the harshest confrontation and ready to lay down their lives for freedom.
The events of February 20 marked the culmination of a three-month standoff, when citizens defended their independence at the cost of their lives. The nation proved stronger than its internal enemies. The usurper president fled the country, and the revolutionary confrontation was soon followed by resistance to an external aggressor.
“In struggle, a people becomes a nation,” said Yevhen Konovalets. The Ukrainian nation met Russian aggression united and hardened by the events of the Revolution of Dignity. Tragically, the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred were not the last to give their lives for Ukraine’s freedom. Yet the memory of their sacrifice continues to inspire us in our struggle today.