Public holiday — Independence Day of Ukraine (Ukrainian). Independence Day of Ukraine), established in 1992 by a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada, — is celebrated in the country annually on August 24 in honor of the adoption by the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR of the «Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine». This event is considered the date of formation of the Ukrainian state in its modern form.
The history of Ukraine is usually counted from the creation of the Kyiv state in the 9th century. After the decline of this state entity and the accompanying collapse into small principalities in the 17th century, the Cossack-Hetman state was formed, which existed until the end of the 18th century, after which, until the 20th century, an independent Ukrainian state did not exist.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the rise of the national movement emerged in Ukraine, taking shape in the «Third Universal» of the Central Rada on November 20, 1917 and declaring the Ukrainian People's Republic — UPR. The Universal declared freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, strikes, and abolition of the death penalty.
After the Ukrainian government refused to accept the ultimatum of the Bolshevik Council of People's Commissars, which demanded that they be allowed to send their troops to Ukraine, as well as not allow white officers and Cossacks to enter the Don, the Ukrainian-Bolshevik war began. The military successes of the Bolsheviks forced the leadership of the UPR to call on Germany for help.
From mid-February 1918, the offensive of German and Ukrainian troops began on the territory occupied by the Bolsheviks, which as a result led to its actual occupation by German troops. The subsequent civil war and series of interventions ended in March 1919 in Kyiv, at the All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets, with the adoption of the constitution of the «-independent Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR)».
On December 28, 1920, the «Workers' and Peasants' Union Treaty on Military and Economic Cooperation» was signed between the Ukrainian SSR and the RSFSR, which consolidated the dependence of the Ukrainian SSR on the RSFSR. The next chance for an independent Ukrainian state presented itself only at the end of the 20th century, after the collapse of the USSR.
On August 24, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR declared Ukraine an independent, democratic state and submitted the «Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine» for confirmation by an all-Ukrainian referendum on December 1, 1991.
On Independence Day, many ceremonial and mass festive events traditionally take place.
But due to martial law, which was declared by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and extended several times, festive events may be cancelled.