For every Ukrainian, the combination of blue and yellow is not just the cutest or the best. It is more beautiful than the most beautiful sky and endless golden fields. It is wider than 603,628 square kilometers. It is deeper than the deepest point of the Black Sea. It is higher than the highest point of the Carpathians and Crimea.   

It is about freedom, independence, unity, and indestructibility. It’s about gratitude to every soldier who is dying today defending our land. It is about the memory of every fighter for Ukraine’s identity. About faith in our common independent future.   

Our flag is something that today inspires respect from our partners and friends of Ukraine. And it terrifies our enemies. Today, world leaders and stars proudly wear the yellow and blue. It is a symbol of strong people. It is a symbol of great warriors. A symbol of unbreakable women and men.   

The colors of our flag have deep roots in the history of Ukraine, dating back to the times of Kievan Rus. On princely banners, these colors symbolized heaven and earth. During the Cossack era, blue and yellow colors became more popular. In the XVII century, they were used on the flags of the Zaporizhzhya Army. Yellow symbolized the golden ears of wheat, and blue symbolized the sky over Ukraine. These colors conveyed the idea of the unity of earth and sky, labor and freedom.    

During the Soviet era, the use of the blue and yellow flag was banned, as were all other national symbols of Ukraine. However, it remained a symbol of resistance and the desire for freedom in underground and emigrant communities.   

After Ukraine declared its independence on August 24, 1991, it was officially recognized as a state symbol. On January 28, 1992, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the blue and yellow flag as the National Flag of Ukraine.  

We are living in difficult times, but it is our generation that has glorified the Ukrainian flag all over the world! Our ancestors would definitely not be ashamed of us!  

Happy Flag Day, Ukrainians!