Kyiv saw the One Heart event held to celebrate Lithuanian-Ukrainian unity

The One Heart event was a symbolic march with 200-meter-long flags of Ukraine and Lithuania. It started in Khreshchatyk Street, and on their arrival to European Square, the marchers combined the two flags in the shape of a gigantic heart. The event’s initiators were the Embassy of the Lithuanian Republic in Ukraine and Ukrainian youth NGO “Heart to Heart.”

Many students and families with young children were in attendance. Before the event started, people had a lively discussion of the truce in eastern Ukraine. The organizers handed out flags of Ukraine and Lithuania, the latter were yellow-green-red. Uniformed lyceum students lined up, some people invited passersby to join the procession. Suddenly, the marchers started to unfurl flags. The event’s director Erikas Druskinas gave orders in a loud voice: “Two steps to the right! Slower! Move in the opposite direction!” The whole proceeding was filmed by a camera drone which rumbled overhead. An orchestra led the procession. To the sound of Ukrainian songs, it made its way from Khreshchatyk Street to European Square.

“I learned of the event from social networks. I felt it my duty to come here,” Yurii Kononenko maintains; he is an employee at the Ministry of Education and Science. “I see consistent and courageous support coming from Lithuania, a European nation, as highly important for Ukraine,” he added. Natalia Piervaia came to the event with her entire family. “My son, a school student, told us about the event, and we decided to support it. It shows that we want to develop democratically and can express our views peacefully,” Piervaia believed. “In my opinion, Ukraine needs a stronger international support, including military aid. The war in eastern Ukraine has been going on for far too long.”

Svetlana Serelene, a primary school teacher from the Lithuanian town of Anyksciai, held the front edge of the Lithuanian flag and made a wave together with the rest of participants. The wave made the “one heart” to beat as if it was a real one. “I came to the event from Lithuania, because I felt it was needed,” Serelene shared her thoughts with us. “Our country fought for independence for a long time as well, so we understand the Ukrainians and want to be with them in their hour of need. Such friendship displays have already been held throughout Lithuania. They bring many people together and are held in a very warm atmosphere. A lad from Ukraine who studies in Lithuania came to the Kaunas event. He is not a singer, but performed the anthem of Ukraine for everyone to hear and it was a great show. The lad then cried, because to see this great support for his native country was important to him.”

Lithuanian and Ukrainian politicians welcomed the marchers in European Square. Signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania Irena Andriukaitiene said: “I am honored to be in the center of Kyiv now, joined by this many people. The heart we have just created in European Square will beat forever, because it is impossible to destroy the Lithuanian-Ukrainian friendship. Our peoples will always be together, and this event is a feast of our hearts.” Prominent Ukrainian artists, including singer Mila Nitich, also performed in the square’s vicinity.

“I am incredibly happy with how it all happened,” the event’s director Druskinas admitted. “Both flags were first unfurled together in Odesa a few years ago. All major cities of Lithuania held events in support of Ukraine as well. We use them to remind European countries that every of them needs to protect its independence, to take care of it every day. We hope to hold a similar unity display near the European Parliament building in Brussels in March.”