Today, we do not celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day with parades, fireworks, or spectacular shows. We simply put on our vyshyvankas, take out our blue-and-yellow flags and other symbols dear to our hearts, and go for a walk through the main places of Kyiv — places that once forged and tempered our state’s independence and that continue to delight us with their beauty. During the war, Ukraine’s Independence Day has become a deeply important and intimate holiday for us.
Ukraine’s Main Urban Symbol of Independence
Khreshchatyk is Kyiv’s main street. It is always lively and cheerful: street musicians, dancers, various eccentrics, and simply vibrant people. Before the war, on Independence Day, Khreshchatyk would become so crowded with people who wanted to see the military parade that you had to look for a spot in TSUM just to watch it through a window. This year, it is far less crowded here, yet festive in its own way. Unfortunately, military equipment is being used for its intended purpose in the east, south, and north of Ukraine, and even on the territory of Russia.
“For me, independence means the right to make mistakes, the right to disagree with the authorities, and the privilege of being yourself. And Independence Day is not a celebration in the conventional sense; it is a moment of profound gratitude for all our sacrifices. We are not simply ‘marking’ a date — every day, we prove that this is our conscious choice. This holiday has now become very fragile; its meaning and significance have changed in Ukraine. This is the fifth Independence Day in a row that I have spent serving in the military. And on August 24, we are likewise at our positions; the war continues 24/7. But this particular day is that trembling moment when you remember why you are here,” says Viktor Hrysiuk — Junior Lieutenant and Head of the Civil-Military Cooperation Section at the headquarters of the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Marko Bezruchko.
Khreshchatyk, of course, majestically and triumphantly crowns Independence Square. Ksenia and her 12-year-old son, Kostiantyn, often enjoy walking here. But on Independence Day, they feel especially different here — festive clothes, white flowers, and joy despite the hardships and fears of war. They have been living in Kyiv because of the war for almost two years now.
“We moved from Chernihiv because the security situation there is very difficult now, especially for a child and his education. Kyiv has also been difficult lately, but it is still easier than there. We experienced the siege in Chernihiv, so we see some things a little differently than Kyiv residents do. We spent 38 days living in a bomb shelter with more than 50 people. Back then, it was much louder, scarier, and more difficult,” the friendly woman tells us.
After escaping the siege, Ksenia’s family could have gone to any city abroad where there were no shellings at all. But for them, it is important to live in Ukraine — and specifically in an independent Ukraine:
“In 2022, we had to decide whether to go abroad or not. After the siege of Chernihiv, a lot of people left for Europe. Many of our friends who went abroad returned as quickly as they could. They said there was nothing for them to do there: they needed to live here, now, in their own home. If everyone leaves the country because of the war, what will be left here? If there are no people, there will be no Ukraine. So why are our soldiers defending us? What did so many people die for?”
Every day, Viktor, like so many of our servicemen and servicewomen, risks becoming one of those fallen heroes commemorated by the memorial on the Maidan. He was born in Lutsk, but says that for him, the main urban symbol of Ukraine’s independence is Kyiv’s Independence Square:
“There, Ukrainians have repeatedly shown that a state is not just officials, buildings, or borders on a map. A state is, first and foremost, its people. And perhaps it is no coincidence that Ukrainians have taken to the streets there so many times to defend their right to determine their own future. Heroes demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice and walked with shields against bullets. There, we showed the whole world our unity. Today, there are thousands of little flags there, not only Ukrainian ones, placed by caring people in memory of Ukraine’s fallen defenders.”
Today’s lieutenant has defended the freedom of Ukraine and Ukrainians peacefully at every revolutionary Maidan of this century, and today — by his own choice, in military uniform and with a weapon in his hands, on the Zaporizhzhia front:
“In 2004, during the Orange Revolution, I stood on Independence Square for Ukraine, where people choose their own government and their own future. In 2013–2014, I stood there for a Ukraine that determines its own direction. Today, I am fighting for my free Ukraine. Yes, it is not perfect at the moment; we still have a lot to change and reform, and we need to learn how to live without corrupt schemes. We need to eradicate the corruption that has sunk its teeth into the state system and does not let go easily. But first, we need to preserve our statehood. We have grown up, become a little more cynical, and we certainly understand the price of freedom much better. Yet the desire to remain free has not disappeared. And perhaps that is the main difference between independence on paper and true independence. It is not enough simply to declare it. It must be fought for, developed, and protected every day. And I really want the day to come when Ukrainian soldiers no longer have to prove this with weapons in their hands. When we can finally prove it simply by being a normal, strong, and free country. I believe in our state, and I will do everything I can to ensure that we do not lose our historic chance.”
“I hope you know that you have many friends”
On the lawn near the Church of the Tithes, Estonian woman Reelika Virunurm is celebrating Independence Day. She is a consul and economic adviser at the Embassy of Estonia in Ukraine. And even despite the war, the diplomat is happy to live in Kyiv.
“I have been working and living here for a year now. I love Kyiv very, very much: life here is truly beautiful. I wish Ukraine freedom, peace, and prosperity. And I hope that this terrible period of war will end very soon. I also hope that you know you have many friends. And the biggest among us are very, very happy to live here, in Kyiv, with you, every day,” the diplomat concludes.
Photo: Roman Chyhrynec
