When is the Day of Ukrainian Statehood
Statehood Day or the Day of Ukrainian Statehood (Ukrainian: День Української Державності) is a national holiday in Ukraine, celebrated annually on July 15th in commemoration of Christianization of Kievan Rus'.
The date for this holiday was adjusted in a law signed July 28th 2023 by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The law (No. 3258-IX, Ukrainian) sets the date of Ukrainian Statehood Day as July 15th instead of the previous “July 28th”. The law takes effect the day after its July 28th 2023 publication.
About the Day of Ukrainian Statehood
On August 24th 2021, the president of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, approved a new public holiday. The Day of Ukrainian Statehood will be celebrated on July 28th, the Day of the Baptism of Rus.
July 28th is traditionally celebrated by Orthodox Christians as the Day of Christianization of Kievan Rus and Prince Volodymyr the Great.
“We are a young family from the glorious dynasty of Kyivan Rus’ - Ukraine. From the ancestry of founders. Ancestry of baptists. From a brave ancestry. Wise ancestry. Cossack ancestry. We are not orphans or foundlings. We are descendants of a powerful country that was the centre of Europe. But we should not only feel accordingly. We must behave accordingly.
"... and we are beginning to celebrate the Day of Ukrainian Statehood. We consider the year of Kyiv's foundation to be its starting point. The capital of Kyivan Rus’ - Ukraine, which is rightly called the city where it all begins. Orthodoxy originated here, the Old Slavonic language originated here, and its successor is the modern Ukrainian language. This is where our statehood began. We will celebrate the birth of our statehood on the day of the renaissance of our statehood – on the Day of Christianization of Kyivan Rus’ - Ukraine. And I am going to sign a relevant decree today,” said Vladimir Zelensky, when announcing the new holiday.
Ukraine, Russia and Belarus on July 28th celebrate Baptism Day of Kyivan Rus, marking the death of Kyiv's Prince Volodymyr the Great.
Volodymyr ruled Kyivan Rus from the year 980 to 1015. Kyiv was the first city in ancient Rus to adopt Christianity.
In 988, the Slavic ruler had the entire population of ancient Rus' baptised in the river Dnepr, rendering the people one Christian nation according to Byzantine Orthodox tradition.
Since 2010, this anniversary has been honoured with a national holiday in the three countries that share Kyiv's heritage.
