It was mentioned in "Kobzar": the origin of the greeting "Glory to Ukraine."

The national greeting "Glory to Ukraine!" has deep historical roots and has undergone a long process of development. Contrary to Russian propaganda, which attempts to attribute a Nazi origin to this greeting, its history dates back to the times of Taras Shevchenko.

The first mention of the phrase "Glory to Ukraine" appeared in Taras Shevchenko's "Kobzar" in 1840: "Our thought, our song will not die, will not perish… Where, people, is our glory, the glory of Ukraine." However, it was much later that this phrase began to be used as a greeting.

First Document

The first documented use of "Glory to Ukraine" as a greeting dates back to the end of the 19th century in Kharkiv. In the memoirs of Oleksandr Kovalenko, one of the leaders of the Ukrainian movement at that time, there is a description of an incident when Mykola Levitsky, the founder of the Ukrainian cooperative movement, encountered a student whistling "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina." Levitsky shouted to him "Glory to Ukraine!", to which the student replied "Glory throughout the land!".

A significant role in the spread of the greeting was played by Mykola Mikhnovsky – a lawyer and descendant of a Cossack family, who actively promoted the Ukrainian national movement in Kharkiv. He united the Kharkiv nationalist youth around the idea of Ukrainian independence.

Repression

After the 1917 revolution, the greeting "Glory to Ukraine" gained widespread usage. It was heard at military congresses and used by Ukrainian military formations and insurgents. During the Hetmanate, there was a variant "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Hetman!".

A tragic chapter in the history of the greeting was the repression against those who used it. In 1918, ensign Voropai became the first Ukrainian executed by Russian soldiers for the slogan "Glory to Ukraine." Later, for this greeting, Ukrainians were also executed by Poles in Lviv.

Official Greeting

In 1941, the second assembly of the OUN approved the official form of the greeting "Slava Ukraini!" with the response "Heroyam slava!". This greeting was used by Ukrainian patriots throughout the struggle for independence.

Today, "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!" is the official military greeting of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a symbol of national unity. Despite the enemy's attempts to discredit this historical greeting, it remains an important symbol of Ukrainian national identity and the struggle for independence.

Previously, "Telegraph" reported how the song "Oy v Luhu" became a symbol of struggle. Its roots trace back to the times of the liberation war led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky.