October 1 occupies a special place in Ukrainian spiritual and cultural tradition. Its origins date back to the solemn celebration of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, which since the X century has been an important church holiday in Orthodoxy and the Greek Catholic rite. According to legend, during the siege of Constantinople in 910, believers gathered in a church to pray. Then St. Andrew the Fool and his disciple Epiphanius had a vision: the Virgin Mary, holding an omophorion in her hands, spread it over those present, covering them with a protective veil. This sign was interpreted as a sign of intercession and salvation of the city from its enemies. After that, the enemies retreated and the city was saved. It was this event that later laid the foundation for the tradition of honouring the Intercession as a symbol of the Mother of God’s protection over soldiers and the entire nation. In Ukrainian lands, the idea of the intercession of the Mother of God as a protector from enemies has deep roots dating back to the times of Rus and is associated with the campaigns of the Rus in the 9th century. Prince Yaroslav the Wise built a church at the Golden Gate in Kyiv as a sign of gratitude to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Ukrainian Cossacks especially revered the Virgin Mary. From the XVI century onwards, the Cossacks considered her their heavenly patroness, built churches in her honour, and on this festive day held celebrations and military councils to elect officers and chieftains. It was then that the icons of the ‘Cossack Intercession’ appeared, depicting Ukrainian hierarchs, hetmans, and Cossacks under the omophorion of the Virgin Mary.
Over time, this date became not only a religious but also a national and political symbol, as it combined spirituality, military tradition, and the idea of defending the homeland.
Cossack traditions were also reflected in the Ukrainian National Revolution of 1917–1921. This is particularly evident in the names of military formations: the Ukrainian Cossack Regiment named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, as well as other famous historical figures — Kost Hordiienko, Petro Doroshenko, Ivan Mazepa. The legacy of the Cossack era was also evident in the names of other military units: Sich Riflemen, Serdiuk Division, Haidamak Regiments, Free Cossacks. By accepting the title of hetman, Pavlo Skoropadskyi confirmed the continuity of the Ukrainian state tradition from the Cossack era to the XX century.
The creation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in 1942 is of particular significance for the Feast of the Intercession. The date of its founding, 14 October, symbolically coincided with the Feast of the Intercession (according to the old style). The UPA continued the Ukrainian people’s struggle against foreign occupation regimes — Nazi and Soviet.
The UIA’s struggle was a continuation of the Ukrainian liberation movement during the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917–1921, the underground military organisation of the Ukrainian Military Organisation and the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists in the 1920s and 1930s. This gave the date new meaning – the memory of the fighters of the national liberation movement. After Ukraine regained its independence in 1991, the Soviet holiday of 23 February (Defender of the Fatherland Day) remained at the state level for a long time. It was alien to independent Ukraine in terms of its meaning, as it symbolised the legacy of the Soviet army.
With the start of Russian aggression in 2014, there was a need to create a Ukrainian holiday based on national traditions. The choice of date for the holiday was quite natural. Pokrova united three levels of historical memory: Cossack (the struggle for freedom and the cult of Pokrova), the liberation movement of the early XX century (the armies of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, the liberation struggle), and the insurgency of the XX century (the Ukrainian Insurgent Army).
Thus, the modern Day of Defenders of Ukraine became a logical continuation of the centuries-old tradition of the Ukrainian national liberation struggle. This holiday is not tied to the Soviet past, but is based on Ukraine’s own experience of fighting for independence.
Defenders of Ukraine Day is more than just an official date. It is a symbol of national unity, embodying historical memory and gratitude to those who defend the state. This day reminds us that freedom and statehood have never come easily to Ukraine. They have been fought for by entire generations of Ukrainians, from the Cossacks to the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Today, with the war still ongoing, this date has special significance for our people — as a day of remembrance, gratitude to our defenders, and hope.