CONGRATULATIONS ON THE VICTORY DAY!
Greetings of the Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Dear fellow citizens!
Together with the spring and its primroses comes the holiday of the Great Victory to our land as the symbol of a rescued life, revival, hopes for the future. Its light is impregnable against the flow of time, everyday troubles and hardships, cunning political turmoil with the attempts to alter the appraisal of the past war, its consequences for Ukraine and the world. Each time it is a unique reason for solidarity, unison of millions of souls responding by their most subtle cords to the echo of old unforgettable events.
The 9th of May has always been a national holiday that returns us to glorious moments, when Europe and the whole planet repeated a long-awaited and yet unusual word "Victory" unanimously, although in different languages.
Today, congratulating you, dear fellow citizens, on its 64th anniversary, I would like to address, first and foremost, our glorious veterans, warriors and toilers of the home front, bearers and custodians of a living memory of the Great Patriotic War. They are the first and the most honourable guests of the holiday. Everything that fell to their lot, everything they had to survive, suffer and accomplish is unique in the history. Our gratitude to the generation of the years of warfare should be even deeper, our responsibility for the country they defended, raised from ruins and demised to their children and grandchildren even greater.
May the heroic deed of the fathers of Victory always remain a model for the descendants!
May the innocent victims of that unprecedented cruel war rest in peace!
By its importance and glory in the fight against fascism, its contribution to its defeat, Ukraine made itself known as the nation of powerful potential and broad prospects worthy of recognition and respect of the international community. The crucial challenge of our State and entire society is the preservation of this precious heritage, prevention of its waste which results from a contradictory, incoherent, non-independent policy and declarative, empty slogans.
It is another lesson of history of utmost importance. The Victory was ensured not only by soldier´s courage, art of commanders and perfection of weapon, but also by the unity of people who opposed the alien invasion and resisted it. The Victory would be impossible without such unanimity, such enormous tension of physical and spiritual forces. Awareness of this fact should unite the people and regions of our country and serve as an important, if not crucial, factor for overcoming vast and destructive economic crisis. Discord and estrangement is the way to nowhere, to the abyss.
I am convinced that the great, wise and steadfast Ukrainian nation will carry on the tradition of the conquerors of fascism with dignity.
I sincerely wish health, welfare and long sunny days to the veterans. Let the May of 1945 merge with today´s colours in your memory. May attention and care of entire nation comfort you.
Dear fellow citizens, I congratulate you on the Day of Victory, peace and benevolent hopes.
Respectfully yours Volodymyr LYTVYN