Riverhead honored Ukrainian Independence Day Friday by raising the Ukrainian flag at Town Hall.
The former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic gained its in. In 1991 Ukraine, incorporated into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the late 1940s, gained its independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Ukraine’s parliament issued the nation’s Declaration of Independence on Aug. 24, 1991.
Father Bohdan Hedz, pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Riverhead explained the symbolism of the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag.
“Always a peaceful nation, the blue represents the peaceful blue sky over a field of wheat, as the Ukraine was always the breadbasket of Europe,” Hedz said.
Members of Riverhead’s Ukrainian-American community gathered on the lawn outside town hall for the ceremonial flag-raising Friday afternoon. Riverhead Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, Councilman James Wooten and Councilwoman Jodi Giglio joined the group for the ceremony and presented a proclamation commemorating Ukrainian independence.
“Riverhead Town is proud to be a part of commemorating this significant day in Ukraine’s history,” the supervisor said in a press release.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
