Defender of Ukraine Day

Defender of Ukraine Day (Ukrainian: День захисника України, Den' zakhysnyka Ukrayiny) is a state holiday in Ukraine celebrated annually on 14 October.[4][5] Its first celebration was in 2015.[6][7] Starting from 2015, this day is considered a public holiday (this is thus a day off in Ukraine).[8][9]

The Day of Defender of Ukraine

Official nameДень захисника України
SignificanceCelebrating the armed forces during Intercession of the Theotokos[1][2] 14 October is also the date of the founding of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Day of Ukrainian Cossacks[1]
Celebrationsconcerts, expos, and festivals[3]
Date14 October
Frequencyannual

History

On 14 October 2014, a decree by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko decreed the new holiday due to the Russian military intervention in Ukraine (2014–present) and decommunization in Ukraine.[10] This decree was approved by the Ukrainian parliament on 5 March 2015.[11] On 24 August 2014 (Independence Day of Ukraine) President Poroshenko proclaimed that Ukraine should not celebrate the holidays of the "military-historical calendar of Russia" but "We will honor the defenders of our homeland, not someone else's".[12]

The holiday replaced the former 23 February's holiday called Defender of the Fatherland Day, which has its origin in the Soviet Union.[13] As the Ukrainian SSR, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union from 1922 until Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 24 August 1991.[14]

14 October in Ukrainian history

The chairman of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance Volodymyr Viatrovych motivated the choice of the date for 14 October on the Ukrainian historical tradition of honoring the Ukrainian army on the day of the Intercession of the Theotokos.[11] This holiday has been celebrated by Ukrainians since the 12th century.[11] The holiday was especially popular among Ukrainian Cossacks, who celebrated it since at least the 17th century as they believed the Mother of God (also known as Theotokos) to be their patroness.[11] 14 October is also the Day of the Ukrainian Cossacks.[10]

In an effort to adopt some Cossack traditions, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army chose the day of the Intercession of the Theotokos to be the official day of their establishment.[11]

On 12 October 2015, the National Bank of Ukraine put into circulation 50,000 pieces of 5 hryvnia coins with an inscription "Day of Defender of Ukraine".[7]

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gollark: Just buy really long Ethernet cables, run them everywhere on the floors, and constantly trip over them.
gollark: Don't do wireless, kids.
gollark: Yes, since it uses 60GHz instead of 2.4 or 5.
gollark: It's annoying that despite having a giant radio spectrum to work with, WiFi is limited to some random smallish frequency bands because the government handles licensing weirdly.

See also

References
  1. Ukraine celebrating Defender Day (Video), UNIAN (14 October 2018)
    "Методичні матеріали Українського інституту національної пам'яті щодо відзначення 14 жовтня Дня захисника України | Офіційний веб-сайт УІНП". www.memory.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  2. Ukraine celebrates Day of Defender and three more holidays, 112 Ukraine (14 October 2018)
  3. Ukraine celebrates Defender Day, UNIAN (14 October 2016)
  4. "October 14 declared 'Defenders of Ukraine Day' after lawmakers back Poroshenko's proposal". Ukraine Today. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  5. "President proclaimed October 14 the Day of Defender of Ukraine". 14 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  6. Ukraine marks first 'Defenders Day' with harsh words for Putin, Fox News Channel (14 October 2015)
  7. Ukraine honours servicemen during celebrations of first-ever Defenders' Day, Ukraine Today (14 October 2015)
  8. Рада зробила вихідним День захисника України 14 жовтня. www.svoboda.org (in Ukrainian). Radio Liberty. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  9. "Verkhovna Rada initiates declaration of the Day of the Defender of Ukraine, which is celebrated on October 14, a day-off". Ministry of Defence. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  10. Ukraine's Defenders Day to be observed on October 14, February 23 celebration canceled, Interfax-Ukraine (14 October 2014)
    President proclaimed October 14 the Day of Defender of Ukraine, president.gov.ua (14 October 2014)
  11. New Oct. 14 state holiday has Orthodox, Cossack roots, Kyiv Post (8 October 2015)
  12. (in Ukrainian) Poroshenko: Ukraine will never celebrate February 23 Archived 2014-08-25 at the Wayback Machine, TVi (24 August 2014)
    English-language translation of Poroshenko's Independence Day remarks in Kyiv, Kyiv Post (24 August 2014)
  13. (in Ukrainian) Таємниця 23 лютого. Українцям є що святкувати "'Mystery of February 23. Ukrainians have something to celebrate", Ukrayinska Pravda (23 February 2013)
  14. A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples by Paul Robert Magocsi, University of Toronto Press, 2010, ISBN 1442610212 (page 563/564 & 722/723)
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