SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The sun rose on Ukraine on Wednesday morning with it being the country's 31st Independence Day. But those in San Diego gathered Tuesday evening to celebrate the day as well.
“We have our one motherland and one goal, free and peaceful Ukraine,” said Victoria Ivanova, who organized the event in Mission Bay.
Ukrainians and others gathered Tuesday to pray for the country as it hit the 6-month mark in the war with Russia.
“We are celebrating the 31st Independence Day of Ukraine, and it is important for us to stay together and still celebrate this and still show the world that we are capable to fight for our freedom,” Ivanova said.
That fight for freedom has come at a grave cost for many like Andrii Andrusanko and his family.
“We actually lost our uncle, my mom’s brother, two months ago. He joined the military forces of Ukraine. He was a great man,” Andrusanko said.
This is also a time to honor those like Andrii’s uncle.
“We are remembering all those people — soldiers, civilians, kids, women — who already lost their lives in this war,” Ivanova said.
As the sun set in San Diego for those celebrating their country’s independence from thousands of miles away, the fire fueling that feeling of freedom rages on and won’t go out any time soon.
“More than ever, we feel that independence and we feel that urge to fight even stronger,” Ivanova said.
“I think right now it’s stronger than ever. What Ukraine has shown with this war for the last six months is fascinating. We’re still standing and standing strong and getting back our territories. And we hope for victory soon,” Andrusanko said.
The House of Ukraine’s Facebook page shows there’s another Ukrainian Independence Day event happening Wednesday night at the St. John the Baptizer Ukrainian Catholic Church in Santee.
