January 22 is the Day of Unity of Ukraine. This holiday commemorates the day in 1919 when the unification of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic was proclaimed. After several centuries spent as parts of different state entities, representatives of Ukraine’s historic lands found the strength and the will to unite into a single state. The solemn proclamation of the Act of Unification took place in the heart of Ukraine — near St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.
The struggle for a united, indivisible, and sovereign Ukraine neither began nor ended in 1919. It has endured at all times: in the darkest periods, despite the clanking of chains and the brutality of repression; and in seemingly prosperous times, when Ukrainians were granted limited freedoms that could be taken away at any moment for disobedience. Nor did it end in 1991, when Ukraine restored its independence.
The struggle for Ukraine’s unity continues today. Millions of Ukrainians are separated from their homeland by occupation. Millions more — by emigration. Thousands — by captivity. Yet hundreds of thousands are fighting with weapons in their hands for a united Ukraine; millions are holding the rear; and thousands are resisting the enemy by every possible means on the other side of the front line. Unity is no longer an age-old dream — it is a shared effort and a shared responsibility.
Glory to Ukraine!