Memorial and Reconciliation Day

We do not lay flowers on Memorial and Reconciliation Day. We may not even be able to embrace those relatives who overcame those ash years and still remain with us. We cannot gather as a whole family to light a candle in memory of those who gave their lives for our sake.

However, this does not diminish our gratitude to those who gave us, without exaggeration, the future. And it does not diminish our longing for those who fought for this future but could not see it.

Each of us has a family history of World War II. We have photos in family archives, front letters or stories of our parents or grandparents. Every detail is engraved not just in the memory but in the hearts.

What makes it even bitterer is that wars are still raging in a world that has fought for peace. One of which again affects many Ukrainian families.

There are also ongoing invisible wars, unleashed by those who are accustomed to profiting from their own fellow citizens. This enemy has other weapons in his hands but today he remains a great threat to the well-being, health, and sometimes the lives of Ukrainians.

Today’s world dictates the main conditions for us: to remember the tragic lessons of history, to seek peace, but to be able to fight back, to remain human, brave and worthy of the sacrifices of millions.

We honor everyone who gave their lives in World War II with a minute of silence. We sincerely thank those who are with us.

And most importantly, we do our best so that evil never prevails over justice again, even temporarily.

With gratitude to each veteran and faith in peace,
Chairman of the STS
Oleksiy Lyubchenko