Happy Ukrainian Flag Day and Independence Day

Independence is not just a word, it is a choice and a path that we have chosen once and for all. And today we all prove together that this choice was the right one, that we are united and invincible. Let Independence Day inspire us to new achievements, to new victories. We believe in our Ukraine, we believe in our victory!

In 1991, Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day for the first and last time on July 16. The occasion was the anniversary of the 1990 Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine. The Declaration prescribed political and economic independence within the borders of the Ukrainian SSR, Ukrainian citizenship, and the need to create its own Constitution, army, financial system, and state budget. At the same time, it was decided that July 16 should be considered Ukraine's Independence Day, despite the fact that it was still formally part of the USSR. “Babel publishes unique photos by Oleksandr Klymenko from the festive procession and concert in the center of Kyiv on July 16, 1991. It also recalls why a new date for Ukraine's Independence Day, August 24, was set for the following month.