Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, has released a statement marking the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence which occurred on this day, 24 August, in 1991.
Recalling those days, Bishop Nowakowski said: “There was once again a sense of hope that a peaceful and prosperous future was within reach.”
The current ongoing conflict with Russia has presented challenges to this hope, but Bishop Nowakowski reminds us: “Christian hope is not the belief that difficulties will simply disappear; it is the trust that evil and injustice will not have the final word.”
In his message, Bishop Nowakowski offers his gratitude for the support which Ukraine and its people has received in the last four years since the conflict began.
“I also want to express our profound gratitude to the governments, churches, faith communities, charities and ordinary people across Western Europe who have stood with Ukraine. In a particular way, we give thanks for the extraordinary welcome and support offered by the United Kingdom. The British Government, local authorities, churches and faith groups, charities and countless individual families opened their homes and their hearts to Ukrainians forced to flee their country.”
Read Bishop Nowakowski’s full statement below.
To the Faithful of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London and all People of Good Will!
Thirty-five years ago, on 24 August 1991, Ukraine declared its independence. For Ukrainians, and for many people around the world, those days were filled with joy, excitement and a sense that history was turning a new page. After centuries in which Ukrainians had so rarely been able to experience genuine freedom and self-determination, the dream of an independent Ukraine had finally become a reality. For many, this was not just the creation of a new state; in fact it was the rebirth of a nation and the fulfilment of a hope carried by generations.
I remember those days personally. In August 1991, I was living in Lviv, and witnessed those extraordinary events as they unfolded. On 19 August, news came of the attempted coup in Moscow by Soviet hardliners who sought to prevent the changes taking place in the Soviet Union and to preserve the old system. Suddenly, the future seemed uncertain once again. Yet what followed was not a return to the past. The failure of the coup became a catalyst for the final collapse of the Soviet Union and gave new urgency to Ukraine’s determination to take responsibility for its own future. Five days later, on 24 August, the Verkhovna Rada proclaimed Ukraine an independent democratic state. The Act itself referred explicitly to the mortal danger created by the coup of 19 August.
The atmosphere of those days is difficult to describe to someone who did not live through them. There was a sense of possibility that had seemed unimaginable only a short time before. Independence opened a new chapter in the life of the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which had survived decades of persecution and had existed largely underground, emerged from its clandestine life and began once again to worship openly and serve its people. Churches were reopened, communities were rebuilt, and a new generation could grow up knowing that their faith no longer had to be hidden. At the same time, democratic institutions and civil society began to develop, and Ukraine increasingly looked towards Europe and the wider democratic world. There was a genuine hope that freedom, democracy and closer ties with the West would create a peaceful and prosperous future.
That hope was tested many times, but the resilience of the Ukrainian people has repeatedly shone through, especially among its young people. During the Orange Revolution in 2004-2005, Ukrainians gathered peacefully to defend their right to choose their own future. The leadership and example of Viktor Yushchenko became a symbol of that struggle for democratic choice. Less than a decade later, a new generation filled the streets during the Revolution of Dignity. Once again, Ukraine’s young people demonstrated remarkable courage and determination, insisting that their country’s future should be decided by its people and that Ukraine belonged within a Europe founded on freedom, dignity and human rights. There was once again a sense of hope that a peaceful and prosperous future was within reach.
That hope was brutally challenged by Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and its aggression in the Donbas, and ultimately by the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Since then, the Ukrainian people have endured suffering on a scale that is difficult to comprehend. Families have been separated, homes and communities destroyed, and countless lives lost. Yet Ukraine continues to resist. Its soldiers, volunteers, doctors, teachers, priests, parents and young people have shown extraordinary courage and determination. They have defended not only their land, but also their freedom, their dignity and their right to decide their own future. Their struggle has come at an immense human cost, and we must never forget the sacrifices that have been made.
On this 35th anniversary, I also want to express our profound gratitude to the governments, churches, faith communities, charities and ordinary people across Western Europe who have stood with Ukraine. In a particular way, we give thanks for the extraordinary welcome and support offered by the United Kingdom. The British Government, local authorities, churches and faith groups, charities and countless individual families opened their homes and their hearts to Ukrainians forced to flee their country. Many British people who had never before known a Ukrainian personally welcomed strangers into their homes, helped children settle into schools, supported families through difficult months and years, and stood alongside Ukraine in its darkest hour. We are deeply grateful to all who have travelled to Ukraine, bringing humanitarian assistance, pastoral care, medical aid and solidarity, and to all who have supported the Ukrainian people in their greatest time of need.
As we commemorate 35 years of Ukrainian independence, we do so with sadness for all that has been lost, but also with hope. Christian hope is not the belief that difficulties will simply disappear; it is the trust that evil and injustice will not have the final word. We continue to pray that this unjust and unprovoked war will come to an end and that Ukraine will know a peace founded on truth, justice, security and respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
May God grant strength and courage to the people of Ukraine, comfort to those who mourn, protection to those who defend their homeland, and wisdom to all who have the responsibility to work for peace. May the day come when the people of Ukraine can once again build their future in freedom, prosperity and peace, and when their children and grandchildren can look back on these difficult years knowing that the sacrifices of their parents and grandparents were not in vain.
Rt Reverend Kenneth Nowakowski OBE
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchial (Diocesan) Bishop of the Holy Family of London
