Zelenskyy and his wife honoured the Heavenly Hundred Heroes

Kyrylo Myronov

On February 20, Ukraine honours the Heavenly Hundred Heroes, who were activists who died during the Revolution of Dignity in 2014.

A Honouring of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes

The President's Office reported that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy together with the First Lady Olena Zelenska honored the memory of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes.

They installed lamps near the memorial cross at the place of death of activists on the Alley of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred in the center of Kyiv.

Zelenskyy noted that ten years ago, Ukrainians were tried to be killed in their own capital for the peaceful choice to be themselves and be free.

For ten years, attempts to destroy us and our independence have continued. There were bullets against the unarmed Heavenly Hundred. Now it's missiles, drones and armies. But ten years ago we stood up and are still standing. Hundreds and hundreds are heavenly and living defenders of our right to be! Thank you for everything! And let's stand together.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

Zelenskyy also addressed Ukrainians on the Day of Remembrance of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes in a separate video.

Today, Ukraine honours the feat of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes. The memory of how Ukrainians know how to choose their freedom. The memory that our unity has no enemy capable of defeating it. That the self-sacrifice of Ukrainians knows no bounds and creates history.

The President reminded that the youngest Hero of the Heavenly Hundred, Nazarii Voytovych, was 17 years old, and the oldest, Ivan Nakonechny, was 82.

A Memorial Day of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes

From February 18 to 20, 2014, the confrontation between the Ukrainian people and the Yanukovych regime at the time reached its peak — 78 people were shot by law enforcement officers on the Maidan.

After February 20, more than 20 protesters died from injuries. All of them became part of the Heavenly Hundred — a total of 107 protesters died for freedom.

The memorial day was established by the decree of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on February 11, 2015.