Today, February 20, Ukraine honors the memory of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated on the occasion of the Day of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred that they gave the most precious thing – their lives – so that Ukrainians could live in a free state.
3 “February 20 is the day when we remember and honor those who made their choice to be free, to build a strong, European Ukraine, and not to reconcile with subjugation,” noted Volodymyr Zelensky.
He reminded that it was during these days in 2014 that Russia chose war – starting the first steps to seize Crimea.
“While people were being killed in Kyiv, and others were defending their freedom, Putin decided to deliver another blow – a very treacherous one. Since then, the world has lived in a new reality, where Russia tries to deceive everyone. It is crucial not to succumb, to stand together. It is very important to support those who defend freedom. Eternal glory to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. Eternal gratitude to all our brave Ukrainians who fought for Ukraine and its independence,” emphasized the Head of State.
4 The head of the Kyiv City Military Administration Timur Tkachенко, honoring the memory of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, wrote on Telegram that “our nation has been defending Freedom from slavery for 11 years, civilization from tyranny, and protecting the European home from the cold ‘taiga’ void. Without weapons, with weapons, with all our strength and capabilities.”
5 Reflecting on the year 2014, Timur Tkachенко noted that
“the first shots, the first victims of the Russian-Ukrainian war were witnessed right in the capital. The residents of Kyiv heard them, and they saw them. On Maidan, alongside residents from all regions of Ukraine, Kyivans stood and died. Before the Russian military began the open occupation of Ukrainian Crimea, before the seizure of our cities in the East – there was the Revolution of Dignity. It was then, in the fight for Freedom, that our acquaintances and relatives first fought and died in the 21st century. And it was then that Russia first and massively governed with hatred and violence. From the other side of the barricades.”
The head of KMVA asserts:
6 “Where our positions hold, our barricades stand – there lies the border between light and darkness. At the cost of the feat of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, and now – the entire Heavenly army. We must remember this high price. And prove every moment that the Revolution of Dignity will prevail!”
Let us remind you that during these days in 2014, the confrontation between the Ukrainian people and the then regime of Yanukovych peaked during the Revolution of Dignity. From February 18 to 20, the highest number of people – 78 – died on Maidan, and after February 20, over 20 more protesters succumbed to their injuries.
The Heavenly Hundred consists of 107 participants of the Revolution of Dignity who were killed, as well as activists of Maidan who lost their lives in the spring of 2014 with the onset of Russian aggression in Eastern Ukraine. The name “Heavenly Hundred” arose analogously to the basic structural units of the Maidan Self-Defense – the hundreds. It was first pronounced during the farewell to the fallen on the capital's Independence Square on February 21-22, 2014.
7 105 Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred have been posthumously awarded the title of Heroes of Ukraine, and three foreigners – Belarusian citizen Mikhail Zhiznevsky and Georgian citizens Zurab Khurtsia and David Kipiashvili – have been posthumously awarded the orders of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.
The Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred include people of various nationalities, faiths, education, and ages. The youngest among them, Nazar Voytovych, was 17 years old, while the oldest, Ivan Nakonechny, was 82. Of the 107 Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, three were women: Antonina Dvoryanets, Olga Bura, and Lyudmila Sheremet.
8 This year, we honor the memory of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred under the slogan: “Heroes of the first victory in the ongoing battle.” This slogan resonates with the key thesis of the previous two years, which marked the Day of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred: “The Heavenly Hundred – the first heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian war.”
The graphic symbol of the information campaign is an image of the Maidan activists with wooden shields at the moment of struggle. The composition refers to one of the most famous symbols of victory in World War II – the photo of the flag being raised at Iwo Jima. The artwork is created by the Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Komyakhov.
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