A national vote once settled the question of sovereignty, while today’s celebrations carry the weight of history, sacrifice, and an unfinished fight for freedom.
On August 24, 2026, Ukraine marks its 35th Independence Day. The holiday commemorates the adoption of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, which the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR approved on August 24, 1991. This political and legal document formalized Ukraine’s restoration as an independent state.
How Ukraine Gained Independence
Ukraine’s tradition of statehood spans many centuries. Its origins are associated with the Antian state, the union of the Polian tribes of Rus’, and Kyivan Rus’. After the collapse of Kyivan Rus’, its statehood legacy was continued by the Principality of Galicia–Volhynia.
Later, the lands of Kyiv and Volhynia retained considerable autonomy within the Lithuanian-Ruthenian Principality. In the 17th century, the Cossack state emerged on Ukrainian lands, and the Cossacks’ struggle for independence continued for more than a century.
In the 18th century, Ukrainian statehood was lost, and Ukrainian territories became part of the Russian and Austrian empires for nearly two centuries.
The Ukrainian Revolution and the Restoration of Statehood
Ukraine experienced a new wave of national revival in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It became a prerequisite for the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921.
In its Third Universal, the Central Rada proclaimed the creation of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, and in its Fourth Universal, it declared its independence. An important event was the Act of Unification of 1919, which symbolized the aspiration to unite Ukrainian lands. At the same time, the Ukrainian People’s Republic was unable to preserve its statehood under the conditions of that era.
The 1991 Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine
Following the August coup in Moscow, an extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR adopted a decision on Ukraine’s independence on August 24, 1991. The will of the Ukrainian people was ultimately confirmed by the nationwide referendum held on December 1, 1991.
At the referendum, 90.32% of citizens supported Ukraine’s independence. This result demonstrated nationwide support for the establishment of an independent Ukrainian state.
Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day During the War
In 2026, Ukraine marks Independence Day for the fifth time during the full-scale war unleashed by Russia against the Ukrainian people. State, cultural, and memorial events are planned in Ukraine and in various countries around the world to mark the 35th anniversary of independence.
Ukraine’s Independence Day remains a symbol of freedom, national unity, and Ukrainians’ unwavering determination to decide the future of their country for themselves.