On July 15, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, which symbolizes the importance of our nation. This day has its own symbol – four trident arms, which symbolize struggle, independence, history, and identity. They refute the misconception about the youth of Ukrainian statehood, as our coat of arms comes from the Rurik family emblem and was the sign of Prince Volodymyr the Great, who baptized Kyivan Rus.
On this day, we also celebrate the Day of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine, which honors St. Prince Volodymyr the Great for his important role in the baptism of Kyivan Rus. This holiday was established by a decree of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko on July 25, 2008, as part of the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus.
“We are a young family from the glorious dynasty of Kievan Rus – Ukraine. From the family of the founders. The family of baptizers. From a brave family. A wise family. The Cossack family. We are not orphans or finders. We are the descendants of a powerful country that was the center of Europe,” Zelensky said in a speech on Maidan in August 2021, when he signed a decree establishing the holiday. “Orthodoxy began here, the Old Slavonic language, whose successor is the modern Ukrainian language, began here. Our statehood also began here. We will celebrate the birth of our statehood on the day of the heyday of our statehood – the day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus – Ukraine.”
