July 7, 1988

Ukrainian Helsinki Association

In the summer of 1988, the Ukrainian Helsinki Association is formed.

In 1987-1989, thousands of informal organizations appear in the USSR, formed around the common interests of their members: rock music, bard song, ecology, culturology, history, national idea, sports, collecting, etc. Over time, many of them become politicized. In Ukraine, the most notable organizations are the Ukrainian Cultural Club, the Lion Society, the Ukrainian Studies Club “Heritage,” the student association “Community,” and the Ukrainian Helsinki Association.

When creating the Ukrainian Helsinki Association, its activists publish their “Declaration of Principles,” which testifies the transformation from a human rights organization to a political one. The Association states the need to build an independent Ukrainian state. With its participation, unauthorized rallies take place in Lviv in June-July 1988. In March 1989, the first political demonstration takes place under blue-and-yellow flags. The banned national anthem “The glory and freedom of Ukraine have not yet perished” is being heard more and more often.