On July 16, Ukraine, and Ukrainians around the globe, remembered the historic Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine adopted on July 16, 1990, by the Supreme Soviet (Verkhovna Rada) of the Ukrainian SSR. That consequential declaration proclaimed “the state sovereignty of Ukraine as supremacy, independence, fullness and indivisibility of the republic’s authority within the boundaries of its territory, and its independence and equality in external relations.” (The first English translation of this remarkable document appeared in The Ukrainian Weekly’s issue dated July 22, 1990. To see that issue of our newspaper, which featured a large banner headline reading “Ukraine proclaims sovereignty,” go to the PDF Archive section of our website, www.ukrweekly.com.)
It is notable that, as we wrote these words, the Verkhovna Rada was holding a special ceremonial session to remember this significant event of 30 years ago. The session featured historical footage of the declaration’s adoption by the Rada and a solemn moment of silence, accompanied by a musical excerpt from the late Myroslav Skoryk’s “Melody,” to honor those no longer among us who had played key roles in that day’s momentous developments. Present as special guests in the Rada were members of the Soviet-era Parliament of Ukraine who had taken part in approving the Declaration on State Sovereignty – the first step, as it turned out, toward Ukraine’s renewed independence just over a year later, on August 24, 1991.
As noted in speeches delivered during the ceremonial session, that first step, though careful to not break all ties with the USSR, was a decisive one. Indeed, our editorial from 1990 pointed out that the Rada had adopted “a far-reaching Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine and in so doing stressed the republic’s intention of controlling its own affairs in all spheres of activity, ranging from the economy, the environment and the military to cultural development and international relations.” Furthermore, the primacy of standards of international law and of Ukrainian laws over all-union laws was declared. Thus, the intent of the document, we wrote, was clear: “Ukraine and its people – defined as citizens of the republic of all nationalities who have the right to free national-cultural development – are the sole source of state authority in the republic and they alone are to determine their own destiny, they alone are to be the masters of their land.” Moreover, even though the document approved by the Rada appeared to assume that Ukraine would be part of some federation or union, it was crystal clear that this would be a redefined union that would take into account the position and principles spelled out in the Declaration on State Sovereignty, and the national and state interests of Ukraine.
On that historic July 16 three decades ago, the leader of the National Council of deputies from the Democratic Bloc, Vyacheslav Chornovil, wisely observed: “On July 16 the people rejoiced as children would; some of them may not understand that this declaration is just a sheet of paper, [that] our work is just beginning.” The former Soviet political prisoner and prominent human rights activist also commented that, although the declaration was overwhelmingly approved by members of Parliament from various regions and of different political persuasions, “This does not mean that the wolves [he had in mind stagnant Communists] have suddenly turned into lambs and are content to graze and feed on grass.”
Those “wolves,” we remind our readers, are still lurking. Ukraine continues to defend itself against the Russian invasion and to strive for the return of its occupied territories. Meanwhile, Ukrainian patriots continue the battle to protect the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian heritage, activists continue to fight against corruption and cronyism, and the people of Ukraine of all backgrounds struggle to ensure a better tomorrow for themselves and their children within the boundaries of an independent and democratic Ukrainian state. We stand with them today, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s sovereignty, and we pledge to stand with them until these goals are achieved.