To mark Defenders of Ukraine Day, the Department of Family, Youth, and Public Events for National-Patriotic Education of the Regional State Administration, in collaboration with the State Archives of Donetsk Oblast, held a thematic educational lecture and tour titled “Defenders of Ukraine: From the Pages of History to the Present” for young people in Donetsk Oblast.
The event highlighted the centuries-long evolution of Ukrainian military tradition, whose continuity can be traced from the era of the princes and the Cossacks to the modern Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Using the examples of the military units of Kievan Rus’, the Cossack army, and the Zaporizhzhia Sich, the lecture illustrated that the defense of one’s homeland has always been based on the principles of brotherhood, responsibility, and self-organization.
Special attention was paid to the region’s history, as in the 17th–18th centuries, the lands of modern-day Donetsk Oblast were part of the Territories of the Zaporizhian Host (specifically the Kalmius and Samara palanoks), where the Cossacks established winter encampments and developed salt and fishing industries, which gave rise to many modern cities.
The event participants also recalled the events of the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921, the activities of the OUN, and the armed resistance of the UPA, which kept the idea of independence alive.
The presentation concluded with an overview of the stages in the formation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 1991, the fight against Russian aggression since 2014, the challenges posed by a full-scale invasion, the army’s technological leap forward, the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces, and the high level of women’s participation, as of September 2026, 57,000 women serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, of whom more than 20,000 hold combat positions.
The main conclusion of the event is that Ukrainian soldiers have defended freedom, their homeland, and the country’s independence throughout the centuries, and that preserving the historical memory of the deeds of defenders across all generations is a vital foundation for the national and patriotic education of young people.