Every year on January 22, on the day of the proclamation of the Act of Unification of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Unity. Officially, this holiday was established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine “On the Day of the Unity of Ukraine” dated January 21, 1999 No. 42.
The Act of Unification became a historical unification of Ukrainian lands in one state. He crowned the conciliar aspirations of Ukrainians of both parts of Ukraine – Transdnieper region and Transnistria – since at least the middle of the 19th century. This is a fundamental milestone for Ukrainian statehood.
On August 24, 1991, an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine. It was supported by Ukrainians in the All-Ukrainian referendum on December 1, 1991. However, historians quite rightly point out that on August 24, 1991, Ukraine’s state independence was actually restored. For the first time in the 20th century, the Ukrainian Central Rada proclaimed it in the IV Universal on January 22, 1918. Moreover, within a year (January 22, 1919) an equally significant event took place on Sofia Maidan in Kyiv – the unification of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic into one state. Due to the failure of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921, statehood could not be preserved. As a result, in the 20th century, Ukrainians were forced to renew it several times in the struggle.
Today we are united as one. We, Ukrainians, have common interests, values, traditions, land, and most importantly, one faith and goal – our victory, which will once again testify that our people have been unconquered for centuries and built their way when many empires did not even exist! Happy holiday Ukraine, happy Day of our Unity!