"He stood to death with tank and he will stand here"

The first anniversary of Independence Day Ukraine celebrated on July 16, 1991.The initial date was the adoption of Declaration of State sovereignty on July 16, 1990. And in a year in July 1991 nobody thought of approaching month events - putsch impingement on the coup (d'etat).

So on July 16, 1991 the grand meeting, dedicated to the first- year anniversary of Ukraine's independence has approved the address to people and the former Head of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk announced on this representative meeting about country's the national interests on the international scene, about the sovereignty and the Ukraine's equal rights as the sovereign country.But even such vanguard of democracy as the USA obviously did not perceive seriously neither the concrete steps of Ukraine towards democracy, nor the statements of its leader.And maybe the diplomacy needed wariness and moderation: during his official visit to Kyiv on August 1, 1991 president George Bush-senior held conversation about the further collaboration with the Soviet government of USSR president Mykhaylo Horbachov.It is possible that Mykhaylo and George agreed upon to be friends against Leonid?Who knows?Ukrainian diaspora raved and quite rapidly, to measuresz of history, the time has come when Bush felt sorry for words that he said in Kyiv.

After 24 days Verkhovna Rada has aprooved the Act of proclamation of Ukraine's independence and decreed to conduct on December 1 the all-Ukrainian referendum for his backing and the election of President of Ukraine.

Today is August 24, we celebrate a 15-year anniversary of our country having changed the the initial date for one year...

Viktoriya SVITLANOVA