Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian community recognizes Independence Day

WATCH: Hundreds of members of Saskatchewan's Ukrainian community gathered in Regina to recognize Aug. 24 as Ukrainian Independence Day.

Hundreds of Ukrainian Canadians gathered in Regina on Sunday to commemorate the 34th anniversary of their homeland’s independence.

August 24, 2025 marks 34 years since Ukraine declared its independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Now, more than three years since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War – fighting continues.

Around 300 people gathered in Wascana Park on Sunday. A long procession of vehicles ended at the Holodomor Statue on Lakeshore Drive near the legislative grounds.

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Titled “Bitter Memories of Childhood” the statue memorializes the millions of Ukrainians and Cossacks who were lost during the man-made famine of 1932-33. The original statue is located outside the National Holodomor Museum in Kyiv.

In light of the invasion, Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan member Svitlana Kenyyuk believes the day is even more important to recognize.

“Ukrainians were always fighting for their freedom and finally in 1991 they got their freedom,” she said. “They got their independence, they could set up their language, they could keep their traditions and customs. It’s very important to be acknowledged as [an] independent country.”

Around half of those who attended Sunday’s event have been displaced due to the war.

Saskatchewan will celebrate its second ever Ukrainian Heritage Day on September 7.