Day of Unity 2022

The historical chronicle of Ukraine contains many names of outstanding figures and leaders who cared about the fate of the country, its freedom and independence. They include princess Olga, princes Oleh and Volodymyr, Bohdan Khmelnytsky…..

Time passes quickly and leaders change, but the goal must not change — the building of an independent country.  But, unfortunately, it is regrettable to watch today’s events, when the time and energy of the people are spent on quarrels and misunderstandings between those at the helm. The topic is important, but it belongs to a different format of discussion. Strength lies in unity. We must join our efforts in the main areas of our work in order to build a European, democratic, law-based, united and independent country.

Folk wisdom has left us many apt pieces of advice and sayings. Together it is easier even to beat one’s father; together, hold the thief; and many others. Ukraine is peaceful! We do not intend to beat either our father or other relatives, nor will we run around looking for thieves in other countries. But we must care for our mother Homeland and defend her, as our grandfathers and great-grandfathers did during WWII, as my comrades, the Chornobyl liquidators, did when they saved our land from nuclear horror, and as those do who today care deeply about the independence of their home.

Ukraine is a multinational country. In its time, its hospitable land gave shelter to representatives of different nationalities. Armenians, Greeks, Germans, Uzbeks, Poles… found a second homeland here. By origin alone, about 300,000 Bulgarians of Ukraine live in the country. They are united in public organizations, including the “Ukraine–Bulgaria” Society, the oldest public organization, which was founded as far back as the 1950s.

I have the honor of working in it for more than half a century, since 1971, and of serving as its President for the last decades. Much has been done. Our organization became a collective member of the Ukraine Peace Council, but we are not stopping and continue to strive, by means of people’s diplomacy, to strengthen interstate relations between the fraternal countries.

We are proud that, on our initiative and through our own efforts, a new monument to the heroes of the war of liberation, which brought Bulgaria freedom from five centuries of Ottoman subjugation, has been built in Kyiv. By tradition, for more than ten years now, solemn events and a prayer service have been held beside it, involving the wider public. A high award for us was the statement of the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Ukraine, Kostadin Kodzhabashev, that the monument is a true symbol of friendship between the peoples of Ukraine and Bulgaria.

It is also worth speaking about the active work of the other communities that belong to the Council of National Communities of Ukraine (RNSU), and I have the right to say so, because from the first days of the Council’s founding the “Ukraine–Bulgaria” Society joined it and continues to work actively together with it. We have established direct, fruitful relations with the Armenian, German and other communities.

We are glad that the activity of our Council has recently received wide publicity and become well known to society, and for this we must thank the leaders of the communities, first of all the Chair of the Council of National Communities of Ukraine, Ashot Avanesian. Under his leadership, numerous events are held to preserve national and cultural values and to protect the social rights and freedoms of the ethnic population of Ukraine.

There is strength in unity. And we must not forget that a great responsibility rests on us for the fate of the country and for the happy future of our children and grandchildren.

Yurii Siedykh, Ambassador of Peace