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Flags of the World - Ukraine Blog Post

  • stjohnandhelena
  • Jun 14, 2024
  • 3 min read

Привіт! I am StJohn Wright from Notarial Services (Yorkshire & Derbyshire) Limited, practicing as StJohn Wright Notary Public. Welcome to the ninth blog post about ‘Flags of the World’: this week the blog post is about Ukraine.


This week’s rather simplistic flag design has a rather profound background to it. The blue colour represents the sky and the yellow represents the wheat fields in Ukraine. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, the people of Ukraine used this flag during the Ukrainian War of Independence from 1917-1921. Due to the current Russia-Ukraine war, it symbolises unbreakable spirit and dignity, devotion to the native land, and a love for freedom to each Ukrainian.


One of the most famous Christmas songs, in the western world, is Ukrainian. In 1916, the composer Mykola Leontovych arranged a choral version of the carol. A few years later, Shchedryk crossed the ocean, and the music was adapted into the iconic Christmas carol “Carol of the Bells” by Peter J. Wilhousky.


If you need to certify a copy of a document through a Notary, please look no further than myself and get in touch with me, I would love to hear from you!


Much of Ukraine’s history from the early 20th Century to the present day involves a lot of conflict mainly at its eastern border with Russia. In 1918, Ukraine declared independence after the Russian Revolution. However, in 1921, the Soviet rule (who were established as the Russian Red Army) conquered two-thirds of Ukraine. In 1932, 7 million peasants died, unnecessarily, in a man-made famine during Stalin’s collectivisation campaign. In 1941-1944, during World War 2, Ukraine suffered terrible wartime devastation during the rule and indoctrination of the Nazis under Adolf Hitler.


Later in the 20th Century, in 1991, as the Soviet Union heads towards dissolution, Ukraine declares independence, again! In 2004, the Orange Revolution mass protests force a pro-European change of government. In 2014, the Maidan Revolution ousts the pro-Kremlin government over their stalled European Union association deal. Russia subsequently seizes the Crimean peninsula and launches insurgency to occupy parts of Eastern Ukraine. In February 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, and President Zelensky rallied a resistance to the invasion, however, Russia initially took large areas of Eastern Ukraine as part of its attempt to overthrow the government. The Battle for Kyiv (a major city in Ukraine) occurred from February-April 2022: Russian forces attempted to take over Kyiv, but Ukrainian forces counter-attacked them in March 2022, which drove the Russians back. In June 2023, the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river in Southern Ukraine is destroyed, causing widespread flooding and disruption. This dam was under Russian control when it was destroyed.


At the time of writing (May 2024), the Russia-Ukraine war is still ongoing, however there are talks of a ceasefire. This would reduce the deaths in both regions and allow people to live their lives without a constant fear of death. Hopefully, this war will end soon, but when (for the moment) is unknown.

On a brighter note, Ukraine is the largest country in Europe, if you exclude Russia. Ukraine’s symbol is a sunflower, and Ukraine has the largest reserves of manganese ore in the world (2.3 billion tonnes), which makes up about 11% of all deposits on Earth.


The traditional dish of Ukraine is Borsch: it is a distinctive red soup made from beetroot and beef. Ukraine’s traditional drink is Beetroot Kvass is a tangy and earthy fermented drink, it is commonly drunk with savoury dishes, such as Borsch. This drink is made with beetroot, salt, and water, and it can include spices, bread, or starters. Is someone you know wanting to join you in the UK? If so, you may require a Sponsorship Declaration. A Sponsorship Declaration is a document whereby the UK sponsor will declare that they intend to sponsor the applicant for a UK visa to visit or join them in the UK. If you require this, or someone you know does, please contact me via the methods below to discuss your options.


To conclude, I am a Notary, who has been practicing for 16 years, and I would urge you to get into contact with me if you require any of the services that I have mentioned in this blog post. Please see my website (Notary in Sheffield | England | StJohn Wright Notary Public) to find out more about me and what I can do to help you. Also, do not hesitate to call me on 07863252272.


Thank you for reading this ninth blog post on the ‘Flags of the World’. Look out for the next one about Zimbabwe! до побачення!


 
 
 

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