Ukraine marks 35th anniversary of Independence Day today

24.08.2026, 10:33 rubryka.com

This year marks 35 years since Ukraine declared independence. At the same time, over the past ten years, the country has been fighting for it with weapons in hand, defending its land and driving out the Russian occupier.

Ukraine established Independence Day to honor the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR's adoption of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine on August 24, 1991. This political and legal document enshrined the new status of the Ukrainian state.

Ukraine followed a long historical path before proclaiming independence. The commemoration of the 35th anniversary of independence is taking place not only in Ukraine but also abroad.

In particular, to mark Ukraine's Independence Day, the buildings of the Canadian Parliament and the Prime Minister's Office of Canada were illuminated in blue and yellow.

Ukraine's diplomatic mission called the gesture a powerful symbol of friendship and solidarity that has united Ukraine and Canada, as well as their peoples, for many generations.

The embassy separately thanked Ivan Baker, a member of the Parliament of Canada and chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, for his initiative and help in making the event happen.

"Thank you, Canada, for standing with Ukraine and for lighting up the heart of your democracy in our colors on this special day," the Ukrainian embassy said in a statement.

The diplomatic mission also noted his unwavering commitment to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

As reported, the fifth celebration of Ukraine's Independence Day took place on August 22 near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Nadiia Shaporynska, president of US Ukrainian Activists, launched the event in 2022. The Ukrainian community, friends of Ukraine, and representatives of the diplomatic community joined the event.

In Brussels, Ukraine's flag was also raised near the European Commission building on the eve of Independence Day. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower will be illuminated in blue and yellow on the evening of August 24.

Background

Ukraine's Independence Day is an annual holiday in Ukraine, marked on August 24 to commemorate the adoption of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine in 1991. This document, adopted by an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR, proclaimed the creation of an independent Ukrainian state.

The act of the early 1990s was not the only attempt to legalize Ukraine's independence: throughout the turbulent 20th century, different regions of Ukraine declared the creation of self-governing states. Three of them emerged in 1918, including the Ukrainian People's Republic, which proclaimed its Fourth Universal in January of that year.

That same year, the Kuban People's Republic and the West Ukrainian People's Republic also declared independence. All these state formations were short-lived: the Bolsheviks captured Kuban and the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1920, while statehood in western Ukraine did not survive the Polish-Ukrainian war. As a result, in July 1919, the lands of Bukovyna, Galicia, and Zakarpattia were annexed by Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia at the time.

In 1939, another state emerged on Ukrainian territory — Carpathian Ukraine, which had gained autonomy within Czechoslovakia a year earlier. However, this fact unsettled Hungary, which had territorial claims. On the night of March 13-14, Hungarian units, together with Hitler's troops, invaded Carpathian Ukraine, and literally the next day, the Sejm declared the independence of Carpathian Ukraine. But by March 18, Hungarian troops had occupied the region.

However, Ukrainian statehood did not cease to exist, as the bodies of these states continued to operate in exile.

The next proclamation of the restoration of the Ukrainian state's independence took place on June 30, 1941, in Lviv, which was then occupied by German troops. Yaroslav Stetsko, first deputy leader of Stepan Bandera's OUN [Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists – ed.], announced the Act of Restoration of the Ukrainian State. But the Germans had no plans to create an independent Ukraine, so in September 1941, they arrested and executed members of the OUN.

Only 50 years later did Ukrainians carry out their fifth and most successful attempt to build their own self-governing state: on August 24, 1991, Ukraine gained its long-awaited independence, which it is now defending from the descendants of the Bolsheviks.

Before that, the All-Ukrainian referendum took place on December 1, 1991. Citizens of Ukraine expressed support for independence.

The referendum asked one question: "Do you confirm the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" A total of 31.2 million people took part in the referendum — 84.2% of Ukraine's population. Of them, 28.8 million, or 90.3%, voted "yes."

As reported, European leaders are in Ukraine to demonstrate support for the country in its war with Russia.