Ukraine Independence Day

Alinor at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Nations bordering Russia are concerned about their freedom in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With the United States celebrating its independence day, I thought it would be interesting to look at how these celebrations celebrate independence.

Not every country has an independence day. Typically a nation celebrates obtaining freedom from a colonial power or separation from an empire. The nearby chart shows independence days by reason (also called National Day in some countries). Note that Great Britain, at one time the largest colonial power in the world, does not celebrate independence day.

A description of independence day celebrations of some of Russia’s neighbors follows below:

  • Poland

    • Poland was an independent nation until the late 1700s, when it was split between the German, Russian, and Austro-Hungarian empires. Those three empires collapsed by the end of World War I, and Poland was re-established. It is celebrated on November 11, when the armistice ending World War I was declared.

    • In 1944, during World War II, the Soviet Army took Poland on its way to defeating Germany in Berlin. The Polish Communists, backed by Stalin, published a manifesto of independence on July 22, 1944. July 22 became the date celebrated. Following the fall of Communism in 1989, November 11 was restored as independence day.

    • Celebrations including laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a race in Polish cities. Celebrations are not limited to Poland - Chicago, for example, home to a large Polish population, holds an independence day race (see runforpoland.com)

  • Baltic Republics – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

    • These three countries are tiny compared to Russia – a combined population of almost 7 million, compared to Russia’s 145 million.

    • All three of these countries have two National Holidays celebrating independence. These countries were part of the Russian Empire when World War I broke out in 1914. In 1917, the Communists took power in Russia. In the resulting civil war and turmoil, all three won independence in 1918. Those dates are celebrated on February 24th in Estonia, November 18 in Latvia, and February 16 in Lithuania

    • During World War II, Stalin and Communist Russia seized all three countries in June 1940. As the USSR crumbled in the late 1980s and early 1990s, all three declared their freedom from the USSR. Those dates are August 20 in Estonia, May 4 in Latvia, and March 11 in Lithuania.

    • As in the United States, celebrations include parades and fireworks.

  • Finland

    • Similar to the Baltic republics, Finland declared independence from the Russian Empire in 1918 as it fragmented at the end of World War I. This is celebrated on December 6. However, when the Soviets invaded Finland in 1939, its strong resistance enabled it to maintain its independence. As a result, unlike the Baltic nations, a second independence day was not needed.

    • One tradition is to celebrate the holiday by lighting blue and white candles and placing them in a window (blue and white are the flag colors). There is also a large televised presidential ball.

  • Ukraine

    • Ukraine’s independence celebrations are similar to the other former republics of the Soviet. Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire until World War I and the Communist Revolution. Ukraine initially split into two republics which then signed a unity treaty on January 22, 1918, which is celebrated as Unity Day. Independence Day is celebrated on August 24, the day Ukraine declared its independence from the dissolving USSR in 1991.

    • In the past, Ukraine celebrated the day with parades and other cultural events. I was unable to find out what Ukraine plans to do this year while the war against Russia continues.

Russia itself does not have an independence day. Closest might be Victory Day, May 9. On that day in 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies. The war between Germany and Russia was brutal. It started in June 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Russia incurred over 20 million casualties in defeating Germany, more than any other country.

Let’s hope that Ukraine and the other nations bordering Russia can continue to celebrate their independence.

 

Howard TanzmanMilitaryComment