Ukrainian Unity Day 2015.

Ukrainian Unity Day.

On January 21, 1999, the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma decreed the "Day of Reunion of Ukraine" (Ukrainian: День Соборностi України, Den’ Sobornosti Ukrayiny), a government holiday, celebrated every year on January 22^[13] to mark the political and historical significance of the 1919 agreement.^[1] It is not a public holiday.^[3] In December 2011, President Viktor Yanukovych caused public controversy when he merged the "Day of Freedom" into this day,^[11][14][15] naming it officially the "Day of Unity and Freedom of Ukraine" (Ukrainian: День Соборності та Свободи України, Den’ Sobornosti ta Svobody Ukrayiny).^[16] The "Day of Freedom" was created in 2005 by President Viktor Yushchenko, Yanukovych's opponent, to be celebrated on 22 November in commemoration of the Orange Revolution.^[17] President Yanukovych stated he changed the day of celebration because of “numerous appeals from the public”.^[14] Mid-October 2014 President Petro Poroshenko undid Yanukovych's merging when he decreed that 21 November will be celebrated as "Day of Dignity and Freedom" in honour of the Euromaidan-protests that started on 21 November 2013.^[18]