March 10 - Day of the National Anthem of Ukraine

Today we celebrate the Day of the National Anthem of Ukraine.

This date was not chosen by chance: it was on March 10, 1865, that the song "Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished" was first performed on stage in the city of Przemyśl (now Poland). It was performed during a solemn concert dedicated to the memory of Taras Shevchenko. Since then, the song has become one of the symbols of Ukrainian national revival.

The words of the future anthem were written in 1862 by Ukrainian ethnographer and poet Pavlo Chubynsky. The poem, which began with the lines "Ukraine has not yet died, nor has its glory and freedom," quickly spread among the Ukrainian intelligentsia. Later, the text found its way to Galicia, where Greek Catholic priest and composer Mykhailo Verbytsky wrote music for it. Thus, the poem became a song that quickly gained popularity among Ukrainians.

During the revolutionary events of 1917, "Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished" effectively served as the anthem of the Ukrainian People's Republic. After the defeat of the national liberation movements, the song was banned in Soviet Ukraine, but it continued to be sung in exile and underground. In 1939, it became the anthem of Carpathian Ukraine, and during World War II, it was performed by participants in the Ukrainian national movement.

After Ukraine declared independence on August 24, 1991, the song was sung right in the hall of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. On January 15, 1992, parliament approved the official musical version of the anthem, and on March 6, 2003, it passed the law "On the State Anthem of Ukraine," which enshrined its lyrics.

Today, the national anthem is one of the main symbols of Ukrainian statehood, along with the flag and coat of arms. Its words accompanied Ukrainians in their struggle for independence, united Ukrainian communities around the world, and became a symbol of indestructibility, which is especially evident during the current war for Ukraine's freedom.