Every year on August 29, Ukraine pays tribute to the memory of the defenders—both men and women—who gave their lives in the struggle for our country’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
This commemorative date was established by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 621/2019 of August 23, 2019, with the aim of honorably honoring the military personnel and members of volunteer units who died for their homeland. The Day of Remembrance is inextricably linked to the events of late August 2014, when, while breaking out of the encirclement near Ilovaisk, Ukrainian troops came under treacherous fire from the “green corridor” set up by the Russian army. Since the fighting took place amid ripe sunflower fields, the sunflower itself became the official symbol of this day of mourning, embodying both the longing for the fallen soldiers and an unshakable faith in life and future victory.
On this day, we remember those who died in the Ilovaisk tragedy, as well as the tens of thousands of defenders—both men and women—who fell in Ukraine’s War of Independence. They stand shoulder to shoulder with all generations of fighters for freedom and national independence—from the warriors of Rus-Ukraine, the knights of Konstanty Ostrogski, the Cossacks of Petro Sahaidachny, Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Ivan Mazepa, to the soldiers of the Army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Galician Army of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic, the Anti-Hitler Coalition during World War II, and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. These warriors bravely won heroic victories and risked their lives for Ukrainian freedom.
Undoubtedly, this is not the only day of the year when the fallen are remembered and honored. But it is a special day, an opportunity for the entire society to focus on gratitude and remembrance, to do everything possible to ensure that the memory of the Heroes is preserved and strengthened for many generations to come. Because only those who remember can achieve victory.