Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska placed memorial lamps at the cross on the Alley of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and issued a joint message about the cost of independence with Russia as a hostile neighbor.
- State and civic events across Kyiv and other cities are being held under the slogan “21 листопада… і щодня, без вихідних,” featuring exhibitions, forums, conferences, film screenings and theater programs.
- Kyiv’s schedule includes an interfaith prayer for Ukraine and its defenders, laying flowers on the Alley of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, the Bell of Memory action, and the consecration of the “Angels in White Coats” monument.
- This year’s commemoration is the fourth consecutive observance during Russia’s full‑scale invasion that began on February 24, 2022.
- The date marks the start of the 2013 Euromaidan protests over a halted EU integration path, which grew to more than 100,000 participants by November 24 and ultimately left over 100 people dead and more than 2,000 wounded.