On January 22, Ukraine celebrates Unity Day. This holiday, which for Ukrainians represents unity in diversity, unification around the idea of ​​forming a free and independent state, was introduced by the Decree of the President of Ukraine “On Unity Day of Ukraine” dated January 21, 1999.

The date was not chosen by chance – on January 22, 1918, Ukrainian independence was first proclaimed by the IV Universal of the Ukrainian Central Rada, and exactly a year later, on January 22, 1919, another significant event took place on Sophia Square in Kyiv – the unification of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR) and the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic (WUPR) into one state.

In the conditions of the modern Russian-Ukrainian war, unity takes on special importance, because today, Ukrainians, more than ever, need to unite for the sake of preserving our nation, our state, our future.

On January 22 at 12:00, on the occasion of Unity Day of Ukraine, the Odesa National Scientific Library (13 Paster Str.) will host a presentation of the book exhibition “The Unity of Ukraine: The Unity of Spirituality and Power.”

The publications presented at the exhibition represent the fateful pages of the history of Ukrainian statehood – the turbulent course of revolutionary events in Ukraine from 1917 to 1921. Scientific research and modern developments in domestic historiography reveal the meaning of The Unification Act, introduce the pantheon of prominent figures of this period and their contribution to the common cause of the struggle for our statehood and freedom.

The event will include a meeting with Viktor Savchenko, a well-known historian, local historian, writer, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Department of History of Ukraine at Ushynsky University, Honorary Local History Scholar of Ukraine. The scholar will deliver a lecture entitled “Knight of Ukrainian Revolutions: The 100th Anniversary of Symon Petliura’s Memory”.

The event will be attended by Ulyana Gromovych, Chief Specialist of the First Interregional Territorial Department of the UINM, Deputy Head of the Public Organization “Veterans HUB Odesa”, and Serhiy Kozachenko, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian War, Assistant to the Rector for Work with Veterans of the Odesa State University of Internal Affairs.

The memory of our own statehood and the liberation struggles of 1917–1921 became one of the cornerstones of the formation of the modern national identity of Ukrainians, inspiring the continuation of the liberation struggle, which contributed to the restoration of the dreamed-of independence in 1991 and further victorious steps to its establishment. Today, the Day of Unity inspires and consolidates all Ukrainians in the heroic struggle against the Russian aggressor.

We invite everyone interested in the history of Ukraine to join the event and familiarize themselves with the materials of the book exhibition “Unity of Ukraine: Unity of Spirituality and Power”, which will be exhibited until February 5, 2026 in the main reading room of the Odesa National Scientific Library (13 Paster Str.).