Day of the Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine

On 16 July 1990, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, a document that determined the future path of the Ukrainian people toward their own independent state.

The Declaration proclaimed the supremacy, independence, completeness, and indivisibility of Ukraine's state authority within its territory, as well as its independence and equality in international relations. It established Ukraine's right to its own Armed Forces and affirmed its autonomy in matters of science, education, culture, economic development, and foreign policy.

Today, as Ukraine continues to defend its right to exist in the face of full-scale armed aggression, the significance of the Declaration has acquired a new and particularly profound meaning. Sovereignty is not merely a line in a historical document; it is the daily work, resilience, and responsibility of every citizen for the future of their state.

Karazin University is proud that throughout its history it has been and remains a centre for the development of Ukrainian intellectual and civic thought. We pay tribute to all those who stood at the origins of Ukrainian statehood in 1990 and to all those who are defending it today with arms in their hands.