On August 23, every year, since 2004, Ukraine honors one of its three key state symbols – the blue-and-yellow flag. It is also a national symbol. A symbol of our Ukrainian identity. A symbol of the struggle for freedom.
The blue-yellow combination became established as the Ukrainian national colors during the European «Spring of Nations» in the 19th century. But in general, this symbolism has been with us since much earlier times.
The combination of a blue background and a yellow pattern is found in the symbolism of Ukrainian settlements, starting from the time of Rus. Cossacks used a blue background and painted yellow crosses, celestial bodies and weapons on regimental and hundred banners.
During the wave of European revolutions of 1848, called the "Spring of Nations," the blue-and-yellow banner had already established itself as the flag of the Ukrainian people. Then, in June 1848, such a banner was first raised over the town hall in Lviv.
In the Dnieper region, which was part of the Russian Empire, the blue-and-yellow flag as a symbol of the Ukrainian national struggle came after the events of the revolution of 1905–1907. And a decade later, in 1917, it became the official banner of Ukrainian statehood. Ukrainian demonstrations took place under the blue-and-yellow flags. Ukrainian soldiers went into battle with them 100 years ago. In April 1918, the blue-and-yellow flags were raised over the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
And after the loss of the independent Ukrainian state, the blue-and-yellow flag remained a symbol of the national struggle and attempts to restore statehood in various regions of Ukraine.
Even in Soviet Ukraine, there were attempts to raise the national flag. On May 1, 1966, instead of the red flag, a blue-yellow one rose above the building of the Kyiv Institute of National Economy in Kyiv (now the Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University). Student Georgy Moskalenko and worker Viktor Kuksa, who did this, planned to cause quite a stir - the flag was to be seen by students and workers of the Bolshevik factory, who would gather in columns for the May Day demonstration in the morning. After 9 months, the KGB found the daredevils. They received 3 and 2 years in strict regime camps, respectively.
On January 22, 1973, in Chortkiv, Ternopil Oblast, Volodymyr Marmus and eight comrades hung out 4 national flags.
On April 26, 1989, a rally in memory of the victims of the Chernobyl tragedy was held in Lviv under the Ukrainian flag, and on May 22 of the same year, the Shevchenko holiday in Kyiv. On March 23, 1990, it appeared above the Ternopil City Council; on April 3, over the Lviv City Hall; on July 24, it was solemnly raised above the Kyiv City Council.
On September 4, 1991, the national blue-and-yellow flag flew over the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. And a few months later, on January 28, 1992, the Verkhovna Rada officially approved it as the State Flag of Ukraine.
Since then, the Ukrainian flag has been raised above Everest. It has flown to meet the Antarctic winds at the Akademik Vernadsky station. It has flown into space with Leonid Kadenyuk. It has flown over the emerald jungles of the Congo with a helicopter rondel on its fuselage as part of a peacekeeping mission. It has climbed the podium with Olympic champions, starting in 1996. It has flown with ribbons on the jackets and backpacks of protesters during the Revolution of Dignity. It has unyieldingly gone to meet the salty winds and Russian occupiers on the minesweeper Cherkasy in Crimea. Today, the flag is with our military on their shoulder chevrons, in their backpacks, and at their positions. They carefully sign it to their brothers in arms as a memento. It flies over the free and liberated cities of Ukraine. And Ukrainians in the occupied territories are waiting for it to proudly fly again in their cities, towns, and villages.