For us, Unity Day is not only a commemoration of a very important historical event. For us, this unity has become an incredibly important value, our national identity, which we defend against the enemy who attacked us in a bloody war.
The Primate of the OCU, Metropolitan Epifaniy, wrote about this on social media.
“It was 105 years ago when the Council of Ministers and the Directorate of the National People’s Republic of Ukraine entrusted Ivan Ohienko – then Minister of National Education, and in general, an outstanding public and church figure, an outstanding hierarch, known as Metropolitan Hilarion, to organize the feast of the Synod. Therefore, according to his motion, in 1919 the Council of Ministers passed and the Directory approved the Law “to forever consider January 22 as a public holiday in Ukraine.”
It was thanks to Metropolitan Hilarion (Ohienko) that a spiritual component was included in the celebration routine, and the Ukrainian Church was involved: the Act of Zluka (Merger) was to be read out in all churches and solemn thanksgiving prayers were to be sent, and as a sign of great celebration, bells were to be rung, as on Easter. Here is what Metropolitan Hilarion himself recalled about the first Unity Day in Kyiv: “So, it’s Sophia Square on January 22, 1919, Wednesday. Everything will start at 12:00. The entire Sofia Square is covered with people, lots of troops. Each church community proceeds toward the square… All of Kyiv is drowning in the sounds of bells. And the day is so sunny, and a bit snow has covered the ground, everything is shining, everything is so beautiful… Prayer square, six bishops solemnly serve. They sing in an endless chorus. The Directory is out front, here comes the reading of the Universal… And the bells are ringing, and the clergy are singing, and the troops stretch as far as the eye can see. The entire Ukrainian army shines in their new uniforms. Wednesday, the 22nd: I declared the day free from classes as Minister of Education. There are an infinite number of students. People are here an infinite numbers. Whoever saw this joyful event will never forget it! I will not forget her to the day I die.”
This holiday was so sublimely and spiritually introduced more than a century ago – with the light hand of the blessed memory of Metropolitan Hilarion. In the center of the Ukrainian capital, near our ancient spiritual shrine of Sophia of Kyiv, with the participation of the people, government, army, and students (our future), in the unity of the state and the church, military and civilians…
Today, for us, Unity Day is not only a commemoration of a very important historical event. For us, this unity has become an incredibly important value, our national identity, which we defend against the enemy who attacked us in a bloody war. We defend not only the territorial unity, but also our spiritual unity, which the supporters of the “Russian world” intended to destroy and split.
But the plan of our enemies will not work. Because the Ukrainian people have great spiritual strength, which is based on love, respect, and the desire for peace. All of us, Ukrainians, are very different, but at the same time we are united. Unity is not monotony, but unity of effort, mutual support of different, but equally worthy people. We are all equal before God, but different among ourselves. At the same time, we all know how to communicate and rally, unite – in the face of danger, in the face of evil, in the face of the enemy – to defend our relatives, our home, our native language, our native faith, and the Motherland given to us by God. That is why unity is our strength.
Happy Unity Day, dear brothers and sisters! Let unity and brotherhood continue to be the basis of the indomitability of our people!” noted the Head of OCU.
