| Universal of the Directory of the Ukrainian People's Republic | |
|---|---|
 A copy of the Act Zluky, signed on 22 January 1919 | |
| Presented | 22 January 1919 |
| Ratified | from the moment of signing |
| Repealed | 20 December 1919 |
| Location | Sofia Square, Kyiv, Ukrainian People's Republic |
| Signatories | Central Rada |
| Purpose | Unification of theUkrainian People's Republic and theWest Ukrainian People's Republic into one state |
| Full text | |
 Translation:Unification Act atWikisource | |
TheUnification Act (Ukrainian:Акт Злуки,romanized: Akt Zluky,IPA:[ˈɑktˈzlukɪ]; orВелика Злука,Velyka Zluka,IPA:[ˈwɛlɪkɐˈzlukɐ]) was an agreement signed by theUkrainian People's Republic and theWest Ukrainian People's Republic inSophia Square inKyiv on 22 January 1919.[1] Since 1999, it is celebrated every year as theDay of Unity of Ukraine to commemorate the signing of the treaty; it is a state holiday inUkraine,[2][3] though not a public holiday.[4][clarification needed]
On January 22, 1919, theCentral Council of Ukraine, with itsFourth Universal, proclaimed theUkrainian People's Republic an independent, sovereign state of theUkrainian people.
On 1 December 1918, a pre-accession agreement on the further unification of the two republics into a single state was concluded between the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) and theWestern Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR) inFastiv. On 3 January 1919, theparliament of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic inStanislaviv ratified it and sent a delegation to negotiate with the UPR government, and on 22 January 1919, the UPRDirectory issued a universal declaring the creation of a single and independent UPR. On the same day, in a solemn atmosphere, it was announced onSophia Square inKyiv.[1]
According to the treatyHalychyna would become an autonomous part of Ukraine.[5]
The Act of Unification was effectively denounced after representatives of theGalician Army unilaterally signed theZyatkivtsi Agreement with theVolunteer Army on 6 November 1919, without taking into account the opinion of the UPR government. The agreement on the cessation of hostilities put the Galician army at the disposal of GeneralAnton Denikin. These agreements were re-approved inOdesa on 17 November 1919, with the leadership of theNovorossiya region of theArmed Forces of Southern Russia, and the treaty was ratified inVinnytsia on 19 November, after which it was implemented.[6][7][8]
On 2 December 1919, representatives of the Ukrainian People's Republic andPoland signed a draft declaration in Warsaw, according to which the Ukrainian People's Republic gave PolandChełm Land,Polissia,Podlachia, WesternVolhynia, andEastern Halychyna.[9] On 4 December 1919, the official diplomatic delegation of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (S. Vytvytskyi, A. Horbachevskyi, M. Novakivskyi) announced to the UPR Embassy in Warsaw and the Government of the Republic of Poland that the Western Ukrainian People's Republic UPR with the Polish government.[10] On 20 December 1919, the authorized dictatorYevhen Petrushevych convened a meeting of the ZUNR government inVienna, at which a decision was made to unilaterally repeal the Act of Unification.[9][11]
However Ukraine was unable to gain independence and in December 1920 theUkrainian SSR of theSoviet Union was established comprising most of the territory of the Ukrainian People's Republic.[12] The territories of theWest Ukrainian People's Republic became mostly part of Poland.[12] In 1939 the territories of both became part of the Ukrainian SSR.[12]
The unification action of 1919 left a deep mark in the historical memory of the Ukrainian people. This was evidenced by the January events of 1939 inCarpatho-Ukraine.
To mark the 71st anniversary of the signing of the Act Zluky in 1990, over 300,000Ukrainians[13] created a human chain (approx. 482 km (300 mi) long)[13] from the capital Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city ofLviv on 21 January 1990.[14][15][16] The chain, the largest public demonstration in Ukraine since the beginning ofGlasnost,[13] was funded by thePeople's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) and was partly inspired by theBaltic Way which had taken place the previous year.[13] For the first time since the period of the Ukrainian People's Republic, theblue and yellow national flag was raised.[17]
Symon Petliura,Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Chairman of the Directorate,Fedir Shvets,Panas Andriievskyi [uk].
Vasyl Stefanyk (leader),Lonhyn Tsehelskyi,Dmytro Levytskyi,Andrii Shmhigelskyi [uk],Tymotei Starukh [uk].
On 21 January 1999, thePresident of UkraineLeonid Kuchma decreed the creation of the holiday "Unity of Ukraine Day" (Ukrainian:День Соборності України,romanized: Den Sobornosti Ukrainy), a government holiday, celebrated every year on 22 January[18] to mark the political and historical significance of the 1919 agreement.[2] It is not a public holiday.[4] In December 2011, PresidentViktor Yanukovych caused public controversy when he merged the "Day of Freedom" into this day,[16][19][20] naming it officially the "Day of Unity and Freedom of Ukraine" (Ukrainian:День Соборності та Свободи України,Den' Sobornosti ta Svobody Ukrayiny).[21] The "Day of Freedom" was created in 2005 by President Viktor Yushchenko, Yanukovych's opponent, to be celebrated on 22 November in commemoration of theOrange Revolution.[22] President Yanukovych stated he changed the day of celebration because of "numerous appeals from the public".[19] Mid-October 2014 PresidentPetro Poroshenko undid Yanukovych's merging when he decreed that 21 November will be celebrated as "Day of Dignity and Freedom" in honour of theEuromaidan-protests that started on 21 November 2013.[23]
In a 22 January 2021Facebook post on the occasion of the 102nd Unity of Ukraine Day celebrating the 1919 symbolic unification of theUkrainian People's Republic and theWest Ukrainian People's Republic, the pro-Russian former Prime Minister of UkraineMykola Azarov claimed that instead, the 1939Soviet annexation of Eastern Galicia and Volhynia should be recognized as the day Ukraine gained "the real unity of Ukraine".[24] According to Azarov "many Ukrainians, do not know these facts, because now theSoviet period of Ukraine is smeared with black paint, andBandera is glorified and glorified."[24] Azarov also claimed that prior to 1939Western Ukrainebecame part of theUSSR "there was no industry or social infrastructure. And look at what has been created in Western Ukraine for several decades of independence."[24]
On Unity Day 2024 PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy signed a Presidential Decree "regarding the resolution of the issues of Ukrainian historical territories" now under Russian control beyond Ukraine's (international recognized) official borders; like theKuban,Belgorod andRostov Oblasts.[1] These territories were claimed by theUkrainian People's Republic government (1917–1921) and who beforeHolodomor and theRussification efforts of the1930s of theSoviet Union hosted hugeUkrainian populations.[1] According to the decree Ukraine should strive "to preserve the national identity of Ukrainians" in these regions ofRussia.[1]
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