On 24 August, the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence, the festive day in Lviv began with paying tribute to the fallen Defenders, women and men, who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of the state.
In the Fields of Honour at the Lychakiv and Holosko Cemeteries, candles were lit and flowers laid on the graves of service personnel. Participants in the ceremony sang the State Anthem of Ukraine and joined together in prayer for all those who died defending the country.
Relatives of the Defenders, service personnel, city residents and representatives of the authorities came to honour the memory of the fallen. Among them was the Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi.
Across the Lviv community, from 23 to 25 August, ceremonial, cultural, artistic and educational events are taking place to mark Independence Day. In particular, on the eve of the holiday, the traditional Independence Lecture was held, delivered by writer and veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Artur Dron. In the evening, the “Columns of Memory” installation was unveiled, which already bears more than 2,000 names of service personnel who died defending Ukraine and are buried within the Lviv community. A performance by the “Homin” choir was also prepared for Lviv residents and visitors to the city.
Ukraine’s Independence Day is marked every year on 24 August in honour of the adoption of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine and the country’s separation from the USSR.