By Manon Martin & illustrated by Xi Chen
Don´t you often think it’s crazy what a difference a year makes? Take the example of Ukraine.
Just one year ago, August 24 was a festive day. Ukrainians peacefully enjoyed their 30th independence anniversary and its traditional military parade. This year’s anniversary was marked by a new generation of pilots leading Kyiv’s military and civilian aircraft. One of these pilots, Anton Lystopad, had just been awarded the Order for Courage by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But only a year later, Independence Day does not hold the same meaning for Ukrainians. Russia is trying to annex their country, and many lives have been lost. Among them is also the pilot Lystopad, who died in combat in August. His story is one of many that show the sacrifices Ukrainians have made for their country, and that they are not ready to give up their independence.
Six months after Russia’s full-scale invasion, everything changed, and so did Ukraine’s Independence Day. Festiveness was replaced by distrust, and a ghost parade: an artful display of captured Russian tanks, shattered military trucks and stilled artillery pieces throughout Kyiv’s city centre.
But can we mix art and war? Can we still find a sense of beauty in war?
For Ukrainians, the answer is yes. This carefully assembled ghost parade was not only artful, but also a way for Ukraine to mock Russia. It showed Putin that the parade he initially planned in downtown Kyiv in February to mark his invasion did not go as planned. Furthermore, letters written by Ukrainians to those spending this year’s Independence Day away from home are also art. Their optimism regarding the future of their country is proof that beauty can still be found, even during war. Art can still be appreciated and used to recover from the horrors of war.
Ukrainians worldwide joined the Free World gathering action, which encouraged them to reunite across cities and show their support, using art as a weapon on this special day.
Ukraine was beautiful on August 24 2022, because it was a proud country. They celebrated their soldiers’ courage, independence, and solidarity. Zelensky says it best in his speech that day: “Every new day is a new reason not to give up. Because, having gone through so much, we have no right not to reach the end”. Peace is not enough. Victory is the only way.
The media captured proud Ukrainians triumphantly raising their flag on Russian tanks, as children played around them. The Motherland monument, a 62 meters-tall statue in Kyiv that celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazis, was beautifully illuminated with the national flag’s colours. The government also organised festive prayers and concerts. The Russian invasion seemed forgotten. This day represented a pause for Ukrainians to celebrate freedom and independence.
While this Independence Day may seem trivial compared to previous ones, this one stands out as an act of enormous courage and defiance. Many of Kyiv’s residents feared a potential attack on the city and decided to spend the day at home, even as the festive mood grew throughout the day and into the night. Among the brave Kyiv residents who visited the ghost parade was Vasyl Radchenko. This 68-year-old Ukrainian has not missed one Independence Day celebration since the collapse of the Soviet Union. To him, this year’s Independence Day felt especially like a fight between freedom and domination.
After six long months of fighting against a country trying to take their independence, Ukrainians today, more than ever, impress the world with their courage and dedication to freedom. This year, an artfully assembled ghost parade symbolised its opposition to the enemy and its belief in their independence. Perhaps next year Kyiv will not be decorated with a ghost parade, but with flowers and a sentiment of relief among Ukrainians.
