On January, 22, on Ukraine’s Day of Unity, the representatives of the “Ukrainian Patriots Association – UKROP” from different regions of Ukraine participated in celebratory events.
On the day when the Act of Unification (Act Zluky) of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic was proclaimed, the heads of UKROP district organizations in Kyiv and party activists joined the 10th anniversary action “Uniting the banks of the Dnipro with a human chain of Reunion” on Kyiv’s Paton Bridge. There were about one thousand participants, who were going towards each other from two banks of the Dnipro River, symbolically uniting Ukraine. This year the participants of the human chain of Reunion streamed a 30-meter-long national flag on the bridge and chanted “One, unified and united Ukraine”. The participants also performed the anthem of Ukraine and commemorated Ukraine’s Hero Serhiy Nigoyan who died on January 22, 2014 on Maidan, and all the patriots who gave their lives for our country.
The unity action was also held in Uzhgorod, and it was joined by the UKROP representatives in Zakarpattya. There was a solemn procession with a 100-meter-long flag of Ukraine in the city. Several hundred people were holding the state symbol and united two banks of the Uzh River. The celebration was attended by the Head of UKROP in Uzhgorod Roman Zaviysky, who said that today the Ukrainians should stand for each other more than ever, remembering their fathers’ struggle for the united Ukraine.
Meanwhile the UKROP members from Uzhgorod on this holiday received children’s greeting video from Krasnogorivka, in Donetsk region, which is still a hot spot in the ATO zone. Pupils of the local music school wished all the Ukrainians peace and harmony, and thanked Uzhgorod district education department and head of the UKROP in Zakarpattya Vlasta Negra for the ongoing support and charitable assistance.
The representatives of Donetsk regional organization of the “Ukrainian Patriots Association – UKROP” party celebrated Ukraine’s Day of Unity with the pro-Ukrainian community in Druzhkivka. The participants sang the anthem of Ukraine and congratulated the residents of the town on the holiday. “I wish our authorities could join us on such important holidays as the Day of Unity of Ukraine, addressed the deputy head of UKROP in Donetsk region Oleksandr Melanchenko to local patriots. – It’s a shame that our authorities still put spokes in our wheel. Today there are very few of us again, as it was in 2013-2014. But it does not mean that we should give up. We are not attacked, as it was at that time, and this is a success. The main thing is that during this period people in Donbas have learned to distinguish yellow-blue good from tri-color evil. Together we will withstand and overcome everything.”
Vinnytsia residents on January 22 formed a chain on Ukraine’s Unity Day on the central bridge over the Southern Bug River. The representatives of Vinnytsia regional organization of the “Ukrainian Patriots Association – UKROP” also joined the action, among them there were Hryhoriy Zozylya, Oleksandr Vasylchuk, Oleg Volynsky, Zhanna Kukhar and others. The participants of the celebration came with the Ukrainian symbols.
On the Day of Unity the UKROP members in Chernihiv commemorated those who contributed greatly to Ukraine’s independence and statehood. The representatives of the “Ukrainian Patriots Association” laid flowers to the memorial sign of the “Fighters for Ukraine’s freedom” and Taras Shevchenko monument. The Head of UKROP in Chernihiv Yaroslav Gyrych said: “The deed of the people, who were creating our independence, is still in our hearts. But now it happens that modernity fosters new heroes, new defenders of the Ukrainian nation and independent Ukraine. All of them are fighters for the Ukrainian independence as a unified state. Unity was the most relevant issue for the Ukrainian society during all the years of its history. They are constantly trying to split us, to divide us and to drive a wedge between us. They try to tell us that there are different Ukraines, to create some conflicts. Our enemies from Russia want to turn occupation of Donbas into civil war in the Ukrainian consciousness and to show it as a conflict between the Ukrainians, but we should stand together, because we are one nation and we are united!”
In Kharkiv region on January 22 the UKROP members joined the action “Chain of Unity” that was held on the main street of the city. For the symbolic human chain people gathered near Taras Shevchenko monument and then went along Sumska street, forming several hundred meters-long column.
“We were so glad to see how this holiday of union has united Kharkiv residents. Today in the city centre there were hundreds of people with different political preferences, life views and priorities. But we are united by love for Ukraine, our national symbols and our understanding that even though we are all different, we live on the same land, we should stand for and defend,” said the leader of the youth branch of Kharkiv regional organization of the “Ukrainian Patriots Association – UKROP” Serhiy Kalinin.
In Lviv, near Taras Shevchenko monument on the occasion of Ukraine’s Day of Unity there was a solemn assembly “The power of people is in unity”, which was organized, in particular, with the UKROP party’s help. At the assembly Lviv residents prayed for the unity of Ukraine. Prominent public figures addressed to the participants of the assembly. They called on not to lose hope in a moment when peace will come to our state, and the next attempt to divide Ukraine will fail. The assembly went on with a concert.
And in Zaporizhia more than two hundred people with patriotic symbols, joined their hands and formed a human chain connecting two banks of the Dnipro. Among the participants there was a deputy of the city council from UKROP faction, a member of Party Control Commission Oleg Kolomoets. The politician said that creating human chain for consolidation and better future of the nation has become a good tradition for the city residents on Ukraine’s Day of Unity.
