Every nation has dates that remain engraved in its collective memory for decades, even centuries, and determine the direction of its national movement. February 24 has become such a day in the modern history of Ukraine. A day filled with tragedy over the many innocent lives lost. A day filled with pride for a brave, unbroken, and freedom-loving people.
From the very first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian nation demonstrated remarkable unity, ingenuity, and ability to come together and resist an aggressor that vastly outmatched it in strength and “greatness”. Even now, four years later, our people inspire admiration and respect with their ability to endure, to find light amid darkness, to sow the fields, and to care for the development and renewal of the country in turbulent times.
Today, there is no family in Ukraine that has not been touched by military aggression. There is not a single aspect of life that it has not reshaped. The whole world looks at the war through the eyes of media professionals – through their cameras and lenses. They have also taken up arms, joining the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike the aggressor. The war has claimed the lives of 125 photographers, correspondents, journalists, and camera operators. Their names have become part of the modern history of Ukrainian journalism and of our national memory.
Every day of work by media professionals is a step against the enemy, a testament to its pettiness, baseness, and violation of not only legal but also moral norms. That is why the work of the media is especially important— in the future, their photos and videos, along with recorded eyewitness accounts, will serve as irrefutable evidence of Russia’s crimes.
The National Council, like all of Ukrainian society, is committed to providing the broadest possible support to domestic media and their professionals. The ReWell-UMedia project, launched with the support of UNESCO, is specifically aimed at strengthening the psycho-emotional resilience and well-being of media professionals during ongoing aggression, in order to preserve their inner and professional stability. Every day, they find themselves in the thick of events, carrying the burden of pain and loss endured by so many, so that the world knows and history remembers.
Today, on the National Day of Prayer for Ukraine, let us bow our hearts before the Lord in remembrance of all those taken by this fierce war, in a sincere plea for peace, blessing, and prosperity for our beloved Homeland.
