Today, the blue and yellow flag is known throughout the world as a symbol of the struggle for freedom of small but courageous Ukraine. Under this banner, soldiers go into battle against the enemy, and the national dignity and unity of our people are revived.
To mark Ukraine's National Flag Day, Bakhmut artist Serhiy Sadchikov donated his painting “The First Raising of the Ukrainian Flag in Bakhmut” to the Donetsk Regional Art Museum. The painting was created in 2021 in what was then a frontline city, based on real historical events.
The painting depicts one of the most vivid pages in the history of the Ukrainian liberation struggle in Donetsk Oblast. With the beginning of the Ukrainian Revolution in the spring and summer of 1917, a national, political, and cultural revival took place in what is now Donetsk Oblast. The patriotic movement affected all spheres of life in the Bakhmut district, which covered a significant part of the present-day Donetsk region. Prosvita, the Ukrainian Club, peasant unions, and local branches of Ukrainian parties, which unanimously supported the Ukrainian Central Council in Kyiv, began their activities.
On November 7, 1917, when the Central Rada proclaimed the establishment of the Ukrainian People's Republic with its Third Universal, the blue and yellow flag was raised for the first time in Donetsk Oblast above the Bakhmut County Council (the center of local self-government in the county). In this way, the county town recognized the UPR. This happened on the initiative of the local Ukrainian national self-government body, the Ukrainian County Council. On the same day, its chairman, Roman Ilyashenko, handed over the blue and yellow banner to the newly organized Ukrainian military unit under the command of Osavul Dubovyk. The recognition of the UNR by the Bakhmut district contributed to the rise of the patriotic movement: the first Ukrainian military formations, centers of the Free Cossacks, and Ukrainian youth organizations were created in Donetsk Oblast, and the issue of Ukrainization of schools was on the agenda.
The artist presented the work “The First Raising of the Ukrainian Flag in Bakhmut” at his personal exhibition at the Bakhmut Local History Museum six months before the start of the full-scale war.
Most of the artist's work was successfully removed from Bakhmut in 2022, when fierce fighting was already underway there, thanks to the efforts of the Donetsk Regional Art Museum and the help of volunteers. However, the work “The First Raising of the Ukrainian Flag in Bakhmut” could not be evacuated.
After the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Serhii Sadchikov left for Cologne, Germany. There, he decided to create a replica of his historical painting.
Today, more than ever, we feel that the flag is a symbol of Ukrainian freedom. May the blue and yellow colors of freedom continue to instill pride in the hearts of every Ukrainian and inspire the artistic community of Donetsk region to new creative achievements.
We believe that after the victory in Bakhmut, the Ukrainian national flag will fly again in the main square. Together we are strong! Together we will win!