Den Derzhavnoho Prapora Ukrainy

The national flag, anthem and coat of arms are integral attributes of the state. These symbols of statehood are treated with special awe and respect. Therefore, National Flag Day is a national holiday that is celebrated on a grand scale. In Zaporizhzhia, there is already a certain tradition – every year on National Flag Day, the Ukrainian blue-and-yellow flag is solemnly raised on the main square of the city. This year, the raising of the flag was especially solemn and touching.

The celebrations began at nine in the morning, when the city’s residents gathered on Mayakovsky Square to march in a festive procession to Festival Square. The main hero of the procession was, of course, the Ukrainian Flag – Zaporizhzhia residents were dressed in the colors of the flag, draped it over their shoulders and held flagpoles on which the national flag was flying. What is pleasant, many people were dressed in embroidered shirts. Students of the Zaporizhzhia «Mashynka» school also attended the flag festival.

The festivities did not end with the festive procession. The main part of the festival took place on the square in front of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration. There was a military march, representatives of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration made speeches, representatives of the Zaporizhzhia youth sang a song about how youth builds the future of Ukraine, and at the end they unfurled a huge blue-yellow flag. At the very end, the national holiday was marked by a solemn raising of the flag. This year, the raising of the national flag was entrusted to two servicemen who had distinguished themselves in the combat zone. In addition, Zaporizhzhia photojournalist Yurii Zhuk, who is participating in the ATO, was solemnly presented with a 4th class bulletproof vest made in Zaporizhzhia.

As noted by youth representative Kateryna Korotchenko, Ukrainians have been celebrating Flag Day every day lately, so August 23 was just another Flag Day. In addition to other celebrations, Flag Day was also celebrated with an interethnic motorcade through the city’s districts. The race started from the square in front of the Regional State Administration to the Kosmichny microdistrict, and then back, through the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant to Khortytsia Island. The motorcade included several motorcycles and more than a dozen cars with national flags of different countries and, of course, the Ukrainian one.

This year, the flag holiday had a unifying character. Recently, the blue-yellow colors have acquired special significance for Ukrainians, so Flag Day was a special holiday. We thank all participants and organizers for a wonderful festive event.

Kateryna Shapka

Press service of the trade union committee of students of ZNTU