About Day of the National Flag
This day is not considered a day off, but traditionally a whole complex of celebrations takes place in the country, including the annual official ceremony of raising the State Flag of Ukraine in regional and district centers.
The purpose of this public holiday is to honor the centuries-old history of the formation and development of Ukrainian statehood, as well as to cultivate respect for the country and its main symbols in the hearts of citizens.
On 23 August 1991, the day before independence from the USSR, a group of MPs brought a blue and yellow flag to the session hall of Ukraine’s parliament. That very flag is still being stored in the museum of the Verkhovna Rada as a relic.
The flag of Ukraine is one of the most important state symbols, along with the national emblem and anthem. It consists of equally sized horizontal bands of blue (top) and yellow (bottom) colors. According to the most popular beliefs, it symbolizes a clear, peaceful sky and boundless golden wheat fields.
For a long time, white and red colors prevailed on the flag of Kyivan Rus. Evidence of this can be found in “Svolo about Igor’s Regiment”. But after the establishment of Christianity, blue and yellow colors began to dominate. However, at that time there was no single flag – each prince had his own banner. Only in the 13th and 14th centuries, quadrangular flags with a free end in the form of a wedge, combining yellow and blue colors, appeared on the territory of modern Ukraine. As chroniclers testify, in the battle near the Polish village of Grunwald in 1410, the Ukrainian army used such a flag.
This day has been an official national holiday dedicated to the flag since 2004. By the Decree of the President of Ukraine, August 23 was chosen as the Day of the National Flag. In 2009, some changes were made to the decree, which established an annual official flag-raising ceremony in all Ukrainian cities.
Before the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine became a national holiday, it was celebrated exclusively at the municipal level in the capital, Kyiv. Until 2004, July 24th was the date of the day - it was on this day, in 1990, that the Ukrainian flag was solemnly raised over the Kyiv City Council.
Today, the celebration of National Flag Day includes a variety of festive events. So, the solemn flag-raising ceremony begins at 9:00 in Kyiv and all regional and district centers and villages of various sizes. Representatives of authorities, local self-government, political parties, international organizations, as well as scientists and artists take part.
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