Day of Dignity and Freedom: the history of a holiday that is symbolic for every Ukrainian

>> Dignity and Freedom are celebrated on November 21/Collage by Radio MAXIMUM

On November 21, Ukraine celebrates The Day of Dignity and Freedom is a date that unites two key events in the history of the state: the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity of 2013.

Radio MAXIMUM will tell you the history of the appearance of this holiday, which is significant for every Ukrainian!

Orange revolution: the first wave of protests

On November 21, 2004, the Central Election Commission announced the preliminary results of the second round of the presidential elections, according to which Viktor Yanukovych was the winner. Mass falsifications during voting provoked protests across the country.

On November 22, supporters of the opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko took to the streets. The protest movement covered major cities, and its epicenter was Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv. Under public pressure, a second round of elections was held, in which Yushchenko won.

In November 2005, the newly elected President of Ukraine established a holiday – Freedom Day. However, in December 2011, Viktor Yanukovych canceled it, combining it with the Day of Sobornosti.

Revolution of Dignity: The Price of Freedom

On November 21, 2013, a protest against the Cabinet of Ministers' decision to suspend preparations for signing the Association Agreement with the European Union began on Independence Square. The protest, which began with a few hundred participants, gathered over 100,000 supporters of European integration by November 24.

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On November 29, a rally was held on Maidan calling for the government to resign. The authorities responded with force: on the night of November 30, a bloody crackdown on protesters took place. This became the point of no return – the protests took on an anti-government character. Ukrainian society felt all the signs of authoritarianism: disregard for human rights, corruption, law enforcement officers' arbitrariness, and repression.

The most tragic days were February 18-20, 2014. During clashes in the center of Kyiv, more than 70 protesters, who were later called the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, were killed. These events changed the course of history: on the night of February 22, President Yanukovych fled the country, and early presidential elections confirmed Ukraine's aspiration for European integration.

Honoring memory

On November 13, 2014, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a decree establishing the Day of Dignity and Freedom. This holiday is designed to affirm the ideals of freedom and democracy, honor the patriotism and courage of citizens who defended national interests and democratic values.

This day reminds us that the struggle for freedom has a high price, but it is precisely it that determines Ukraine's path to the future.