Despite the war, Ukrainians gathered for their national holiday in France and Europe

More than 1,500 Ukrainians marched on Wednesday in Lyon, Nice, Lille, Bordeaux and Toulouse on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of their country’s independence, a celebration “all the more important” as it is prohibited in kyiv, six months to the day after the Russian invasion. The parade ended with the Ukrainian national anthem sung by the participants.

31 years ago, on August 24, 1991, Ukraine declared its independence from the former Soviet Union. The event is traditionally celebrated with a grand parade in the country.

Like an air of Ukraine in the streets of Europe this Wednesday, August 24

A Ukrainian flag 30 meters long was unfurled on Wednesday on the Grand-Place in Brussels, on the occasion of the Ukrainian national holiday. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was present.

This celebration was organized on the initiative of the Ukrainian mission to the European Union and the Ukrainian community in Belgium.

To commemorate Ukraine’s Independence Day, August 24, 1991, many Ukrainians hosted in Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine) gathered in the Town Hall Square, this Wednesday, August 24, 2022. The occasion for them to remember that the war is not over and to thank their host country.

While the war is being played out more than 2,000 km away, some Ukrainians have found refuge in France, and in the Pyrénées-Orientales, thanks to a surge of solidarity. This same momentum that continues to work to try to offer lighter moments to these refugees, like this Wednesday, August 24 in Perpignan.

But the refugees in Isère want to celebrate the independence of their country, despite the context. A rally took place at 2 p.m. this Wednesday, August 24, at Place Félix Poulat in Grenoble. The Ukrainian anthem was sung, in particular by the young Satenik, originally from Kharkiv, who had taken refuge in Crolles.

The head is not in the celebrations, but they still wanted to mark the occasion. On Wednesday August 24, their national day since independence from Ukraine in 1991, part of the Ukrainian community of Drôme once again found itself at the foot of the monumental fountain of Valence.

In Paris, the Ukrainian diaspora gathered in large numbers at the Efel Tower, to celebrate the national holiday 2000 km from Ukraine, thinking of those who remained in the fight to liberate the country from Russian troops.

They held a picnic, where they celebrated Independence Day and sang the Ukrainian national anthem as well as folk songs about their home country and the state’s history.

Since February, more than 11 million people have fled the country, according to the UN. They are 6.6 million in Europe.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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