A Celebration That The Russians Had Hoped To Obliterate - August 24th 2023

August 24th 2023

Yuriy reflects on Independence Day, recalling Ukraine's declaration of sovereignty in 1991 and the subsequent challenges it faced. Yet, Ukraine remains resilient, contrasting with Russia's instability, and he reminds us of the significance of Independence Day as a celebration of survival and a symbol of Ukrainian identity.

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TRANSCRIPT: (Podbean app users can enjoy closed captions)

Today in Ukraine, the most significant state holiday is celebrated - Independence Day. It was on August 24, 1991, that Ukraine declared its departure from the Soviet Union and the restoration of its state sovereignty. At that time, no one obstructed Ukraine's choice of its own path - only Moscow politicians and the then-American President George Bush Sr. asked not to rush into independence. However, no one dared to impede Ukrainians by force. This only happened almost a quarter of a century later - in 2014, when Russians began to seize Crimea - and last year, it escalated into the format of full-scale war. A war for the independence we gained 32 years ago, but one we are still fighting for.

Russians have never perceived Ukraine as an independent state. They have consistently made crude jokes about us, devalued Ukrainian culture and language. Even when our official relations were very good and Russians had not yet occupied Crimea and parts of Donbas, they regarded Ukraine as an unreal country, openly mocking our independence, accusing Ukrainians of the alleged collapse of the once seemingly strong Soviet Union.

I remember how much of a blow it was for me to witness the reactions of my Russian colleagues and friends to the occupation of Crimea. How openly they supported the seizure of foreign land, the expulsion of Ukrainians from the occupied territories, how enthusiastically they talked about Ukraine's downfall. They understood that occupation is a crime, that persecuting Ukrainians in the occupied territories is blatant nazism, but they found it agreeable. And they wanted more. The majority of Russians were captivated by the utterly irrational idea of completely annihilating Ukraine. It's impossible to comprehend, simply impossible, yet people who lived thousands of kilometers away from Ukraine, somewhere in Siberia, who had never seen a living Ukrainian in their lives, dreamt of the destruction of Ukraine.

For years, they had been preparing for this. After the Russians managed to occupy Crimea, they gradually spent years preparing for the destruction of Ukraine. My former Moscow colleague, with whom we raised our children together, whom I had known for almost twenty years, sent me messages about how eagerly he would watch as Ukraine would be subjugated by Russia and Ukrainians would be annihilated. But their plans didn't work out. Ukraine stood strong and is now slowly restoring its territorial integrity. It turns out that Russia itself is an incapable state. It's in Russia where there's no law, no order. There's nothing in Russia to hold the state together except for the fear of the residents towards cops and officials.

That's why today is an especially significant celebration. A celebration that the Russians had hoped to obliterate, but ended up filling it with new meanings themselves. Now, Ukraine's Independence and the survival of Ukrainians are synonymous. Without Independence, we won't exist. So, Happy Independence Day to everyone. If anyone wishes to personally congratulate me, you can always do so using the contact details in the description of this episode. Take note - there's also a Buy Me A Coffee link there now. Once again, happy holiday and Слава Україні.