Ukraine: 34 years of struggle for freedom - how it was.

Actions of participants of 'Zla Mavka' in the occupied territories and the movement for independence

According to FREEДOM: In the cities temporarily occupied by Russian troops - Donetsk, Luhansk, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Henichesk, Melitopol, and Skadovsk - participants of the resistance movement 'Zla Mavka' burned dozens of Russian tricolors. This movement was founded in 2023 in the Russia-occupied Melitopol. Its participants, women, united to constantly remind the Russian occupiers that they have no place on Ukrainian land. FREEДОМ tells about the struggle of Ukrainians for freedom and independence.

Student protest in Kyiv in 1990 and the Revolution on Granite

In the center of Kyiv, in the autumn of 1990, hundreds of students gathered with posters saying 'I am on hunger strike against the government'. They demanded not to sign a new union treaty, to force the head of the USSR government to resign, to hold parliamentary elections on a multi-party basis, and to prohibit Ukrainians from serving in the army outside of Ukraine. This protest later became known as the Revolution on Granite.

'The biggest dream of all who took part in the Revolution on Granite was the proclamation of independence. But to openly say this at that time meant to secure for oneself a cursed future life if nothing came of it, so the demands were more specific. The student hunger strike - this is how we called our protest action, which took place in Independence Square. Back then it was called the October Revolution Square. We set an example that a Ukrainian can be free on their land, that they can make decisions and encourage others not to be afraid to stand firm in this position' - recalls Angelika Rudnytska, a singer, artist, volunteer, and participant of the Revolution on Granite.

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Proclamation of independence and events after it

The Verkhovna Rada of the USSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine on July 16, 1990, and on August 24, 1991, it announced the Act on holding a referendum and on the independence of Ukraine. The blue-yellow flag was ceremoniously presented by the Ukrainian parliament. The vote on the Act of Independence was urgent: the majority in the Verkhovna Rada consisted of communists. During the debates in the hall, thousands of people in the square in front of the parliament demanded the restoration of Ukrainian independence. The Verkhovna Rada received 346 positive votes.

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Russia's intervention and the revolution on Maidan

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'Russia had a huge economic influence on Ukraine at that time. Information influence - the media, newspapers, several Russian newspaper branches opened in Ukraine by 2004, and of course, it was unexpected for Moscow; Moscow pressured Kuchma to forcefully disperse the Orange Maidan, but Kuchma understood that this could end badly for him' - states Holovko.

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Crimea and Russia's interference

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'Speaking of Crimean Tatars, about 95 or I don’t know, 99 percent - they were for the integrity of Ukraine, as shown in 2014, starting with the rally on February 26 and up to the present day, there the Crimean Tatars suffer for their position' - notes the soloist of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ismail Kurt-Umer.

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The beginning of Russia's military aggression and subsequent events

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'Independence of the country for me is what many generations of Ukrainians dreamed of, something that was shattered as a dream, and something that I managed to turn into reality together with my friends and the people I live with. It is something very, very personal' - shares Angelika Rudnytska.

Struggle against the occupiers and brutal video

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The post 34 years of independence: how Ukraine has changed and fought for the choice to live freely (VIDEO) appeared first on Freedom.

The material presented in the text is a chronological overview of key events and actions in the struggle for independence and freedom in Ukraine. From student protests in 1990 to events in Crimea in 2014, the article reflects various aspects of the Ukrainian struggle for its rights and the achievement of independence. Different periods and events highlight the importance of sovereignty and the readiness of Ukrainians to stand firm for their state.