From the personal archive of Yaroslav Kendzor.

August 24, 1991, Kyiv.

On video: Verkhovna Rada, session hall; Roman Lubkivskyi descends from the rostrum, Vyacheslav Chornovil speaks on the rostrum, speech on symbols; voting on symbols, comments by Leonid Kravchuk: uproar in the hall, congratulations, Roman Lubkivskyi shouts "Please bring the national flag!", exclamations of "Khmara! And what about Khmara?"; speech on the rostrum by Levko Lukyanenko on the need to create a commission that will investigate the crimes of persons who collaborated with the State Committee for Emergency Situations, and the need to consider the case of political prisoners, in particular Stepan Khmara, discussion; Larysa Skoryk speaks to Ivan Plyushch about Stepan Khmara; the flag is brought up, applause, everyone stands up; The flag is carried by Vyacheslav Chornovil, Ivan Zayets and others, fixed on the rostrum of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada, another flag is installed behind the Presidium; Leonid Kravchuk announces the end of the session, deputies: "And Khmara?"; some deputies leave the hall; representatives of the People's Rada sing "Oh, in the meadow, the red viburnum", Ivan Plyushch asks everyone to leave; Vyacheslav Chornovil encourages them to sing "She has not died yet"; singing the anthem of Ukraine, the deputies leave the hall of the Verkhovna Rada.

Symbols of Ukraine, August 24, 1991: Voting

The video shows the first inauguration of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. The inauguration took place on July 19, 1994. He took the oath of office on the Peresopnytsia Gospel. He entered the hall of the Verkhovna Rada through the side door, without the first lady and without any special honors during the oath. The anthem was played by a military band without words.

The video shows MPs, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Moroz and journalists.

Kuchma's first inauguration ceremony

July 16, 1990, Kyiv.

The video shows the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine at a session of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR. The session hall, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ivan Plyushch opens the session, the roll call of the deputies, the adoption of the final version of the Declaration, the results of the voting on the scoreboard, other issues on the agenda, the speech of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vitalii Masol with proposals for the formation of the Government of the Ukrainian SSR.

Speeches by deputies: Vadym Hetman; Roman Lubkivsky; Leonid Kravchuk; Henrik Altunyan; Volodymyr Shlemko; Vasyl Mykhailiuk; Yaroslav Kendzior; Ivan Zayats; Serhiy Ryabchenko; Vitalii Karpenko; Ihor Yukhnovskyi; Mykola Shulha; Serhii Pravdenko.

Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine

February 23, 2014, Kyiv.

Video of Oleksandr Turchynov's special address to the people after his appointment as Acting President of Ukraine.

Main theses: honoring the memory of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, condemning violence against peaceful protesters, removing Viktor Yanukovych from the duties of the President of Ukraine, calling early presidential elections, restoring the 2004 Constitution of Ukraine, returning to the parliamentary-presidential form of government, forming a new parliamentary majority and government, restoring the work of state authorities, stabilizing and coordinating the executive branch, ensuring public order and state control, withdrawing security forces to places of permanent deployment, preventing lynchings, radicalization and separatist manifestations, protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, stabilizing the economic situation, overcoming the risks of financial crisis and default, guaranteeing the payment of salaries, pensions and scholarships, restoring trust in state institutions, focusing on European integration, supporting an equal dialogue with other states.

Oleksandr Turchynov's address to the people, 2014

1996, Ukrainian Television. Telebridge "From Donets to Tysa" to the 5th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence.

On the video: screensavers, host Borys Hryvachevskyi is broadcasting live from Maidan Nezalezhnosti, archive footage of historical events, inclusions and reports from various cities of the country, the host is talking to Vyacheslav Chornovil.

The Fifth Anniversary of Independence, 1996

5–6 August 2023, Kyiv.

The video shows the installation of the trident on the ‘Motherland’ monument. National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War: hoisting the structure using cables, raising the flags on the monument. Comments: project author Oleksii Pergamenshchyk; Director General of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War Yurii Savchuk; workers.

Installation of the trident on the shield of the "Motherland". Part 2

September 4, 2023, Kyiv.

The video shows preparatory work for the installation of the trident on the "Motherland" monument. Packing the coat of arms for transportation, lifting and loading the structure onto special transport, unloading the trident at night on the territory of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. Comments: project author Oleksiy Pergamenshchyk; General Director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War Yuriy Savchuk.

Installation of the trident on the shield of the "Motherland". Part 1

Video from the personal archive of Yaroslav Kendzyor.

September 12, 1991, Kyiv.

In the video: Ukrainian flag above the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Independence Square, Lenin monument surrounded by a fence, dismantling process, inscriptions "Executioner", "End of Leninism", "Judas, get out of Ukraine!", various shots; people holding a blue-yellow flag, waving the flag of Lithuania, dismantling process of the monument.

Dismantling of the Lenin monument in Kyiv, 1991

From the personal archive of Yaroslav Kendzor.

24 August 1991, Kyiv.

The video shows a rally outside the Verkhovna Rada. People with blue and yellow flags and EU flags, the flag of the environmental association ‘Green World’, and banners reading ‘Ukraine is leaving the USSR’ and ‘We demand the dissolution of the anti-people CPSU-CPU, which has been irrevocably compromised by bribery’. Speeches by pro-democracy MPs: Vilen Martirosyan on the creation of a Ukrainian army and the removal from power of those who supported the junta; Vyacheslav Chornovil on the fact that he had signed an order under which, on 23 August, the Lviv regional party committee and district party committees, as well as the party archives, were sealed, the printing of party newspapers was halted, and the Lenin Museum would be replaced by a museum of Ukrainian icons, the Communist Party’s accounts were frozen, and so on.

Rally outside the Verkhovna Rada, 1991

Kyiv, 1990. Video: Ukrainian Parliament, deputies gather in the hall, accompanied by Parliament Chairman Volodymyr Ivashko, Margaret Thatcher enters, greeted with applause, Thatcher's speech, presented with a bouquet, answers questions from Ukrainian deputies. 

In her speech, Margaret Thatcher talks about political changes in the Soviet Union, democratic transformations in the country, notes that there are few women in the Ukrainian parliament, and says that the Ukrainian SSR has prospects.

Dmytro Pavlychko asks Margaret Thatcher if there will ever be a Ukrainian embassy in Britain. She replied that only countries with full state status open embassies. They do not have embassies in California or Quebec or the provinces of Australia. 

Reference: Margaret Thatcher, the head of the British government, visited Kyiv on June 9, 1990. During Margaret Thatcher's visit, the Soviet Union held British Days. The guest laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, visited Babyn Yar, attended the opera, and became the first high-ranking foreign leader to visit the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 

Margaret Thatcher in Ukraine: 1990 

Video from Yaroslav Kendzor's personal archive.

August 21, 1991, Kyiv.

Part one — press conference. On the video: hall, people, presidium; speaking and answering questions; Volodymyr Filenko talks about the chronology of the actions of democratic forces in Ukraine during the August 1991 coup; Oleksandr Yemets about the content of Leonid Kravchuk's telephone conversation with Anatoly Lukyanov, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR; Ivan Drach about the situation in the country, about Lieutenant General Sharikov's desire to meet with the democratic opposition; about the courage of the relevant circles, the military asks for more activity from the Movement; about the preparation of materials for the creation of a law on failure to execute a criminal order; that all military formations of Ukraine should be under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine; calls for talks with servicemen; questions from journalists: about the consequences of the coup for Ukraine, collection of signatures, a speech with a proposal for full independence, about strikes; speech of workers, telling how a mine in Chervonohrad stops working due to a strike and 16 mines in Donetsk; raising the issue of creating a Ukrainian army; about the need for television broadcasting.

Part two — a rally of participants of the People's Council regarding the events taking place in Kyiv and Moscow. On the video: October Revolution Square (now Independence Square), Dmytro Pavlychko, Yaroslav Kendzyor speak, those present sing "Ukraine is not dead yet", chant "Freedom for political prisoners!"; poster "Citizens of Ukraine! Let's defend our sovereignty! The junta to trial!", other speeches.

Comments: leader of the rally, First Deputy Chairman of the People's Council Volodymyr Filenko; Chairman of the Movement Ivan Drach; Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Council of the All-Ukrainian Solidarity of Workers Association Oleg Karpyuk; Chairman of the People's Council Igor Yukhnovsky; People's Deputies Volodymyr Yavorivskyi, Yaroslav Kendzior, Oleksandr Yemets, Les Tanyuk, Kateryna Zavadska, Serhiy Holovatyi, Ivan Valenya, Mykola Brovskyi; Secretary of the Ukrainian Republican Party Oles Shevchenko; Deputy of the Moscow Council Yevhen Gayev; Member of the Presidium of the All-Ukrainian Solidarity of Workers Association Igor Shvets; Deputy Chairman of the Political Council of the Movement Bohdan Ternopilskyi; Representative of the Union of Ukrainian Students Volodymyr Chemerys; Member of the Movement Ivan Zayets; Co-Chairman of the Ukrainian Student Union Oles Donii; Member of the leadership of the Green Party of Ukraine Igor Gavrylov; Leader of the Democratic Party of Ukraine Dmytro Pavlychko.

August 21, 1991: People's Council rally

Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe, 1995. 

Video program about the Ukrainian government delegation's visit to Strasbourg to attend the ceremony of Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe: airport, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yevhen Marchuk walks down the ramp, greets officials, meeting with Miguel Martinez, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, meeting on Ukraine's accession, ceremony, speech by Yevhen Marchuk, raising of the Ukrainian flag, interviews with Yevhen Marchuk and Miguel Martinez. 

Background: In 1995, during its September session of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe adopted a positive opinion on Ukraine's application for membership. Ukraine was allocated 12 seats in the Assembly. A Ukrainian delegation headed by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada took part in the PACE session. On October 31, 1995, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law on accession to the Charter of the Council of Europe. And on November 9, the solemn ceremony of Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe took place.

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