Annually, on January 22, Ukraine celebrates Unity Day dedicated to the ratification of the Unification Act between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and Western Ukrainian People’s Republic in 1919.

The Unifying act of 1919 left a deep imprint on Ukrainian history. Mykhailo Hrushevskyi noted: “Regardless of the severe tests Ukraine and the Ukrainian people were given by historical destiny, regardless of the perturbations that lie ahead - the monumental times of the Ukrainian Central Council and its acts will serve as a great epoch for development, a foothold for national state-building processes”.

Candidate of Historical Sciences of Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko, Andrii Rukkas spoke about the pre-conditions to and the process of signing of the Unification Act. Directing attention to the events of the past century, the scientist drew parallels with the modern realities in his speech.