Thousands of people took part in celebrations of Ukrainian Independence Day across Poland yesterday, as the country’s eastern neighbour marked the 31st anniversary of its secession from the Soviet Union.
Leading Polish officials also sent messages of support to Ukrainians, up to three million of whom – both recent refugees and pre-war immigrants – are estimated to now live in Poland, making up around 7-8% of the population.
Tysiące Ukrainek i Ukraińców znajdują schronienie w naszym kraju i w naszym mieście. Dziś, w Dniu Niepodległości Ukrainy, chcę Was raz jeszcze zapewnić: Polska jest z Wami, @warszawa jest z Wami! Walczycie o swoją niepodległość, ale też o bezpieczeństwo nas wszystkich. Дякую! pic.twitter.com/ecCzz0DH7k
— Rafał Trzaskowski (@trzaskowski_) August 24, 2022
The independence celebrations took place exactly six months afterRussia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. At marches and gatherings in Polish cities, participants waved Ukrainian and Polish flags along with banners condemning Russia’s actions and calling for an end to the war.
The celebration in Warsaw, the capital, started with the singing of the Ukrainian and Polish anthems. As well as Ukrainians, the event was joined by Poles and Belarusians, many of whom have fled to Poland to escape repression at the hands of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in Minsk.
They were addressed by the city’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, who assured them that “Poland is with you, Warsaw is with you! You are fighting for your independence, but also for our security”.
Warsaw has been the biggest single destination in Poland for refugees from Ukraine, and saw its population rise by 17% as a result in the early weeks of the war. In May, the Union of Polish Metropolises estimated there to be over 350,000 Ukrainians in the city, and 3.37 million in Poland as a whole.
“I hope you are happy in our city, in our common city,” said Trzaskowski, speaking Ukrainian. “We will always be with you because no one understands better than we Poles that Ukrainians are fighting for our freedom.”
To mark the occasion, Warsaw’s iconic landmark, the Palace of Culture and Science, was illuminated in Ukrainian blue and yellow. The Ukrainian embassy shared an image of the palace and “thanked [Poles] for solidarity with a free and independent Ukraine”.
Dziękujęmy za solidarność z wolną i Niepodległą Ukrainą! pic.twitter.com/DNk1yjT0yN
— Ukraine in Poland (@UKRinPL) August 24, 2022
A pre-recorded message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was also played to the crowd, in which he hailed his compatriots for “showing bravery and becoming an inspiration to the whole world, giving hope that it is not force but truth, not money but values, not oil but people, that wins in this world”.
The organisers of the event appealed from the stage to the Polish authorities, but also to the leaders of other European Union countries, to recognise Russia as a terrorist state, reported the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
Similar events also took place in other Polish cities, including Łódź, Kielce, Białystok and Szczecin.
Meanwhile, in a video message, Polish President Andrzej Duda also wished the Ukrainians well. He recalled that Poland was the first country in the world to recognise Ukraine’s independence.
“Today, we also stand by you in solidarity as Ukraine defends its freedom by repelling Russian aggressors. I know that you will prevail. We Poles believe that a free Ukraine, rebuilt from destruction, will enjoy prosperity in the European community,” he said.
Main photo credit: Tomasz Stanczak / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.
