‘We existed, exist and will exist!’

Today Ukraine commemorates Ukrainian Statehood Day, a remembrance that extends millennia into antiquity.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked this historic anniversary in his remarks during ceremonies in a Kyiv broadcast by the Office of the President.

"...A state that was given 72 hours, and it has held out for 12 years of Russian aggression and 1,603 days of full-scale war," the president said. “Russia launched it and called it a 'special military operation.' Even in that, they wanted to humiliate our statehood, to portray Ukraine as supposedly incapable and weak.”

Zelenskyy noted that Russian forces had expected to seize Ukraine within three days, but that even Russian state propagandists now acknowledge Ukraine is a strong state that Russia cannot and will not defeat.

“Ukraine respects its history. It remembers every joy and every pain our people have had to endure. But we do not live constantly looking back. We are not focused solely on the history that has already been written. We are shaping Ukraine’s history – the history being written today and the history yet to come. A state that will succeed. An independence that will be guaranteed.

“We are building a state that has enough strength and self-respect to do both at once: preserve its heritage and pursue ambitious plans. A Ukraine that values its past and believes in its own future. A state that is not afraid of the phrase “for the first time” – and that, for the first time, is doing what until recently could only have been a dream. We are shaping this reality – a reality of unwavering respect for us, for Ukraine, for our people,” he said

"A state that Europe and NATO need, that does not wait but creates, that does not ask but offers — unique experience, technology, capabilities, a unique security and political partnership," he stated.

This anniversary and commemoration is a needle in the eye of Russian dictator Putin, who claims that Ukraine does not have a legacy and heritage worth mentioning.

In his address, Zelenskyy recalled Ukraine’s centuries-long history and its recent technological and strategic achievements, stressing that Ukraine's main goal is “not a Russia without gasoline, but a Ukraine without Russia, without war — a Ukraine with Europe.”

Zelenskyy also said that none of Ukraine’s innovations would matter without the people defending the country. He presented state honors to Ukrainian defenders and gave posthumous awards to the families of fallen soldiers.

While Moscow denies or belittles this memorial, European leaders, among others, beg to differ. On Wednesday, July 15, European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv as Ukraine marked Statehood Day and the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’-Ukraine, which occurred in 988 AD.

Von der Leyen announced her visit on X, described this as her 11th trip to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“Just arrived in Kyiv for my 11th visit to Ukraine in wartime. It’s a special moment. Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning,” she wrote.

She said the visit would focus on launching new initiatives to integrate Ukraine’s and Europe’s defense industries to boost joint weapons production, as well as discussions on Ukraine’s EU accession and preparations for the coming winter.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also arrived in Kyiv.

Readers of The Torn Curtain 1991 may wonder what is the meaning of Ukrainian Statehood Day. Isn’t that like Independence Day? Don’t Ukrainians mark that on August 24?

As Ukraine observes Ukrainian Statehood Day, the country celebrates a profound legacy that stretches far beyond the 1991 declaration of modern independence. While August 24 is a vital national day commemorating breaking free from the Soviet empire, Statehood Day is about deep roots, civilizational choices, and unbroken historical continuity.

1. Defining "Statehood" vs. "Independence"

To fully understand this commemoration, it is essential to distinguish it from Independence Day:

Independence Day (August 24), which commemorates a specific, vital political event—the 1991 restoration of sovereignty and the rebirth of Ukraine as a modern, sovereign nation. It is a celebration of the act of self-determination.

Statehood Day (July 15): Honors a thousand-year tradition of state-building. It traces an unbroken historical line from medieval Kyivan Rus' through the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia, the Cossack Hetmanate, the Ukrainian National Republic of the early 20th century, and ultimately to the modern democratic republic of today. It represents the permanence of Ukrainian identity.

2. The Civilizational Anchor: The Baptism of Rus'

Statehood Day is intentionally paired with the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus'—Ukraine, honoring a landmark moment in the nation's history.

The Legacy of Volodymyr the Great: In 988 AD, Grand Prince “Kniaz” Volodymyr the Great adopted Christianity as the state religion, baptizing the people of Kyiv in the Dnipro River.

A Turn Toward Europe: This was not merely a spiritual conversion; it was a profound geopolitical and civilizational pivot. By aligning with the Christian world, Prince Volodymyr integrated Kyivan Rus' into the broader European political, legal, and intellectual community.

A Foundation for Law and Culture: This era established the Cyrillic script, libraries, stone architecture, and eventually Rus' Truth (the first unified legal code compiled under Yaroslav the Wise), laying down the fundamental rule of law. The first constitution of Ukraine is the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk (also known as the Bendery Constitution), adopted on April 5, 1710. Drafted by Hetman Pylyp Orlyk in exile in Bendery (modern-day Moldova), it is celebrated as one of the earliest democratic, separation-of-powers constitutions in European history.

3. Dismantling Historical Revisionism

In the context of contemporary defense and survival, Statehood Day also serves a crucial role in reclaiming historical truth against hostile narratives:

Reclaiming the Narrative: The holiday directly refutes hostile propaganda claiming that Ukrainian identity is a modern or “artificial” construct. It asserts the historical reality that Kyiv was a thriving, powerful European capital centuries before Moscow was established.

Ancient Symbols of Modern Identity: Symbols like the Trident (Tryzub)—originally the personal seal of Prince Volodymyr the Great—and the Hryvnia (the national currency) trace their origins back a millennium, reminding the world of a deep-seated cultural inheritance.

4. The Power of Continuity in Times of War

Celebrating statehood during a struggle for survival is a powerful act of national resilience:

It reminds the world and Ukrainians alike that they are defending not just a political boundary drawn in 1991, but a thousand-year-old culture, language, and heritage that generations before them fought to preserve.

It honors a unified lineage of defenders—from medieval warriors and Cossacks, through the Ukrainian armies of World War One and World War Two to the modern Armed Forces of Ukraine—who have defended the right of the Ukrainian nation to exist. In the 20^th century alone the Ukrainian nation was called on to defend and restore its right to exist freely and declared its national independence a half a dozen times. On the other hand, Ukraine and the Ukrainian nation have never in its history invaded or occupied  any foreign neighbor.

"All stages of the history of Ukrainian statehood can be described in one sentence: we existed, exist and will exist." — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy