What day is it?

“How not to love you, my Kyiv” is a phrase that not only Kyivans, but also guests of the capital will agree with. Kyiv is the majestic capital of Ukraine, which delights its inhabitants with its beauty and power. The capital will make you fall in love with its architecture and history. At all times, Ukrainians were ready to compete for the integrity of their city, for its freedom and peace. Modern Kyiv gives us a million new opportunities and is ready to find a place for everyone. It becomes a reliable home for hundreds of thousands of families. During the Second World War, Kyiv was occupied by German troops, and thousands of Ukrainians gave their lives for its liberation. Every year, on November 6, Kyiv residents and guests of the capital celebrate Kyiv Liberation Day.

How did the idea of ​​celebrating the Liberation Day of Kyiv come about?

It is known that the operation to liberate Kyiv took place during the battle for the Dnipro. About four million military personnel were involved on both sides. The operation to liberate Kyiv began to be artificially accelerated due to the approach of November 7 – in Soviet times, the well-known day of the “Great October Socialist Revolution”. Unfortunately, it was precisely such rigid and senseless plans that caused excessive losses among the Soviet troops, which could have been avoided.

Fulfilling the Party’s mission at any cost has become more important than human life. In 8-10 days, the troops had to cover a distance of 200 km and reach the Lutiz bridgehead. The reformation of the troops turned out to be a difficult stage. In order to divert the attention of the enemy, smoke screens were used. The commanders of the German side did not recognize the scale of the Soviet army’s offensive, so they withdrew part of their troops from Kyiv.

On November 1, 1943, the immediate battle for the capital began. First, a forty-minute artillery training took place. Soviet troops began to divert attention from Kyiv, demonstrating a significant number of operational reserves in Bukryna. At the same time, the army began to actively destroy the enemy’s defenses.

An incredible number of guns and manpower were involved. The amount of equipment used by the Soviet army was the largest during the entire period of military operations. This powerful strike caused heavy losses to the enemy, as a result of which the German forces lost a significant amount of manpower, equipment and weapons.

The first counterattack was launched by the Soviet army from Puscha-Vodytsia, and since then the offensive continued, and the battles raged until the very night. On November 4, the troops resumed the offensive and continued to attack the enemy.

The enemy could not stand it and began to withdraw his troops. On November 5, they managed to break through to the center of Kyiv. Bloody battles raged throughout the night on November 6. At four o’clock in the morning on November 6, General Moskalenko made sure that the troops had completely taken over the city and reported on the liberation of the capital.

In total, the occupation of the city lasted 778 days. The entire operation to liberate Kyiv took three months. The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated the capital of Ukraine on November 6, 1943. Then the Heroiv Dnipro metro station was named after the liberators. Kyiv was saved, but the times of restoration of the capital’s vital activities were just ahead.

Interesting Facts

• Kyiv was under Nazi occupation for 778 days. Measures to liberate the city lasted more than 90 days. The liberation of Kyiv was part of the Battle for the Dnipro, which became one of the bloodiest and largest military operations in the history of the world (about 4 million people were involved on both sides, more than 2 million died).
• The offensive operation began early in the morning on November 3, 1943 by infantry and tank forces of the 3rd Guards Army. The soldiers went on the assault with their lights on and sirens working. On November 6, soldiers entered the capital of Ukraine.
• Before the assault on November 3, the leadership of the Red Army had already made attempts to liberate Kyiv. We can say that the battle for the city began on September 22 with the occupation of the Bukryn bridgehead. After that, there was another attempt to storm the capital, but the effort brought only loss of lives and military equipment.
• The liberation of the capital played an important role in the course of the Second World War, but this victory cost the Soviet Union more than 30 thousand soldiers dead, while the Germans lost almost three times less people. In the city itself, dozens of buildings, all bridges, the Dormition Cathedral in the Lavra were destroyed.
• The history of the liberation of the capital of Ukraine is somewhat different from the liberation of other large cities. An interesting fact: only in Kyiv did the German occupiers evacuate the civilian population before the fighting.

Frequent Questions and answers about the Day of Liberation of Kyiv

How to celebrate Kyiv Liberation Day?

1. On this day, the memory of all those killed in the operation is commemorated. Flowers are brought to memorials, candles are lit. The official laying of flowers for the Eternal Flame is taking place in the Kyiv Eternal Glory Park. High-ranking government officials express gratitude to veterans.
2. Many art exhibitions are held.
3. Meetings with veterans are organized, where they tell the younger generation about the events of the Second World War.
4. In schools, it is customary to conduct a number of educational events for students with the aim of spreading historical memory and commemorating memory.
5. Concerts by children’s and youth groups for war veterans are organized in the Culture Houses.
6. Do not forget to congratulate, pay attention, express words of thanks to veterans, especially if it is a close person. After all, it was they who won back a peaceful sky for posterity.

Why is this day important?

The battle for Kyiv is perhaps the most vivid manifestation of how a totalitarian state treated its citizens. Ukrainians who had just been freed from German occupation had to pay in blood for simply being in the occupied territory. Unprepared and poorly armed (and sometimes even unarmed) mobilized people were called “pjajachniks”, because they did not have military ammunition and fought in civilian clothes, but were used as “cannon fodder”.

That is why, on the Day of the Liberation of Kyiv, it is worth remembering at what cost the capital of Ukraine was liberated from German troops and why it is so important to have our own statehood so that we do not have to die again for someone else’s interests.

When will we celebrate? Kyiv Liberation Day?