Happy National Flag Day of Ukraine!
The blue and yellow banner is more than a symbol. It is the voice of centuries that passed through struggle, hope and faith. Its colours — the blue of the sky and the gold of wheat — first appeared as early as the 13th century, on the coats of arms of principalities that fought against the Mongol invasion. In 1848, during the Spring of Nations, Ukrainians raised the yellow and blue flag over Lviv City Hall for the first time, as a sign of national awakening.
In the 20th century the flag became the symbol of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, and was later banned by the Soviet authorities as an expression of nationalism. Only after the failed coup in Moscow, on 23 August 1991, did a group of deputies carry the blue and yellow flag into the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada. The next day, Ukraine declared its independence.
Today this flag flies not only over our cities but in the hearts of millions of Ukrainians around the world. It unites us in faith, in struggle and in our longing for peace.
May it always be a sign of our strength, our dignity and our unbreakable spirit.
“Without its own symbols, a nation does not exist. And our flag is our spirit, our history and our future”
Viacheslav Chornovil
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!
