August 24 marks Ukraine’s 31st Independence Day.
With the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia — which began exactly six months ago on February 24 — The Ubyssey spoke with Ukrainian students about what Ukraine’s Independence Day means to them this year.
For Anna Shubina, president of the Ukranian Students' Union and third-year media studies student, Ukraine’s Independence Day is a day of pride for every Ukrainian student.
“It’s a celebration of our rich authentic culture, long resilient history, strong people and of course freedom,” she said.
She said this year’s Independence Day holds extra significance.
"This year we are in an unjustified war fighting Russian terrorism," she said. “Over six million have fled their country and tens of thousands have fully destroyed homes and lost lives. All the beauty and life of my hometown, Mariupol, is erased and I can never come back to where I was born and raised."
"The Independence Day of our country brings us hope and light to go till peace and victory,” she added.
Sasha Pobochii, an incoming first-year student, said that this day is a way to raise awareness that Ukraine is its own country separate from Russia, with its own unique culture, language and history.
This year, on August 24, Shubina and Pobochii will host a radio show with CiTR Radio from 4–5 p.m., playing Ukrainian music and talking about Ukrainian culture.
“We want our country to be remembered as a symbol of power, freedom, for its beauty and generosity,” Shubina said.
While this year’s celebration will be different — there were parades and concerts in Ukraine last year according to Shubina — the meaning behind Ukraine’s Independence Day remains the same.
According to Pobochii, Ukraine has had to fight for sovereignty for its entire history.
“The significance is even greater considering the fact that we’ve been fighting for independence our whole history. It didn’t start this February, it didn’t start in 2014,” she said.
For Sasha Ostapenko, a master’s student studying astronomy and physics, Ukraine’s Independence Day is the most important day of the year.
“For me this day is one more opportunity to think about all Ukranians who want a better life for our country, and also to be thankful for the fact that I was born in Ukraine, that I have rights to speak freely, to read Ukrainian, to choose a religion and have freedoms to choose political parties and the president,” she said.
This article was updated at 11:50 a.m. on Wednesday, August 24 to correct the spelling of Sasha Ostapenko's last name. The Ubyssey regrets this error.
This article was further updated at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday, August 25 to add additional comments from Anna Shubina.
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