The "I am from Ukraine. Ukraine is one" rally outside the Russian embassy in Tallinn

On 22 January, the Day of Unity, Ukrainians gathered outside the Russian embassy in Tallinn for the rally "I am from Ukraine. Ukraine is one", to remind the whole world once again that every corner of Ukraine is part of our single state, that the occupied cities were, are and will be part of Ukraine, and that Ukrainians cannot be divided!

The global campaign "I am from Ukraine. Ukraine is one" was initiated by the international Ukrainian community Strichka, which unites active Ukrainians around the world for joint action and support for Ukraine and its citizens abroad. Similar rallies took place in many cities around the world where Ukrainians now live.

With Strichka's help, the Association prepared posters with images of the hometowns of the Ukrainians who came to the rally, to show the world and each other – through personal stories, participants' memories and facts about their hometowns – that we are always united, even when thousands of kilometres separate us.

During the rally, the participants were addressed by the Association's PR director Inna Hordiienko, who noted that despite the million discussions now under way about the terms of a "ceasefire" or even "ending the war", Ukrainians will never give their territories to anyone.

"The temporarily occupied territories will certainly be liberated from the Russian invaders, because the goal of today's struggle is the victory of a united Ukraine."

She also stressed that Ukrainians who, for various reasons and especially because of Russia's full-scale invasion, have ended up on different continents and in different countries are more united today than ever.

"Ukrainians in Estonia from different parts of Ukraine likewise unite around helping one another, around shared values and around promoting Ukrainian culture! I see people here from many Ukrainian cities and towns: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Kherson, Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia, Nikopol, Khmelnytskyi, Luhansk! These cities and their regions differ in traditions and customs, they have their own dialects, and Ukrainians there differ in clothing and cuisine. But we are all united by love for our native land!"

Civic activist Andriy Yatsenko, originally from Kherson, also spoke to the rally, noting that the Russians bomb his hometown every day and people die there every day!

"The Russian invaders were desperate to roll into Europe on tanks, but they got stuck in Ukraine because they are afraid and weak – yet unfortunately they have a great many weapons. And these monsters bomb my hometown every day: not only grenades, but missiles, bombs and shells. Today civilians were killed again. They strike kindergartens and hospitals, and ordinary civilians die – there are few of them left there now, but there still are some."

He called on Ukrainians to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine wherever they are, because it is the Armed Forces of Ukraine that guarantee a united Ukraine will stand!

Yatsenko also thanked the people and Government of Estonia and its President for helping Ukrainians and never tiring of doing so every day!

Support for Ukrainians and greetings on the Day of Unity were also expressed by Tarmo Kruusimäe and Aivar Kivisiv – activists who have held rallies outside the Russian embassy since 2014.

Liidia Laane – a Ukrainian activist who has also been protesting outside the walls of the Russian embassy in Tallinn since the first days of the war – read several poems that touched the hearts of everyone present!

Hanna Kiriienko – Association volunteer, active civic figure and moderator of the "Spilnota. Estonia" community on the Strichka platform – shared memories of her hometown of Kalush and noted that for Ukrainians the idea of unity has been and remains a fundamental national value and one of the key elements of our identity!

She called on everyone at the rally to join hands and form a chain of unity! Estonian activists also joined in to show their solidarity with Ukrainians, who continue to stand up for truth, freedom and justice not only for Ukraine but for all European countries!

Thank you to everyone who joined the "I am from Ukraine. Ukraine is one" rally, and special thanks to the group of activists Ants Erm, Aivar Kivisiv, Mari-Ann Kelam, Tarmo Kruusimäe, Liidia Laane and Lena Movchan, who every week for 10 years now have been drawing the Estonian public's attention to Russia's crimes in Ukraine outside the Russian embassy in Tallinn.

Thanks to Jana Vorontsova for the photos of the event!