Events to commemorate the Heavenly Hundred will be held from February 17 to 22

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Kyiv, February 16, 2015.  Members of the organizational committee on commemorating the remarkable days of the Revolution of Dignity presented an updated plan of events to mark the fist anniversary of the Heavenly Hundred heroes who have perished during the mass shootings on February 18-20, 2014. They explained a schedule of events in detail during the press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “The history should eternalize the events of February 18 – 20 as days of unquenchable sorrow, when Ukraine lost its best sons. However, this is also an affirmation that they did not die in vain, that their sacrifice has changed Ukraine”, told Yevhen Nishchuk, Head of the organizational committee.

A number of art performances, dedications, exhibitions and presentations will set off on February 17 throughout Ukrainian cities. Ivan Honchar Museum in Kyiv will host the exhibition project “Creativity of Freedom” (r)evolutionary culture of Maidan” showcasing a permanent display of Maidan artifacts. Key activities will be held on Friday, February 20, starting with ringing church bells at 18:30.  Automaidan members will honk the same tune. The All-Ukrainian event “A Moment of Silence —the Endless Memory” will follow.  The light installation “The Lights of Dignity” will be the culmination of this evening. The lights, symbolizing the souls of Maidan activists, will be installed in each and every place where a Hero of the Heavenly Hundred was killed.  The “National Choir of Ukraine “Dumka” and Pikkardiyska Tertsiya band will perform live the song “Hey, plyne kacha po Tysyni” (“Hey, the duckling swims on Tysynia”)

The film director Serhiy Proskurnya told that all events on commemorating the Heavenly Hundred Heroes are organized in an entirely European format but have a specific Ukrainian tint. «Families of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and the organizational committee voted for Mozart’s Requiem to be performed, which raises the event at the planetary scale», he told.

The families of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred will receive  the Hero of Ukraine state awards on February 20. Mr. Nishchuk told that granting Ukrainian citizenship to the families of those Heroes who were foreign citizens is under consideration.

On Saturday, February 21, people on Maidan will make Vytynanky (paper-cutting designs) depicting the silhouettes of Angels. There will be a flash mob “Send your Angel to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred”. Afterwards, everyone would be able to watch short films and chronicles about the events of winter of 2013 – 2014.

On February 21, an exhibition of evidence of the Russian military aggression on the territory of Ukraine called “The Presence” will be launched on the Mykhailivska Square. There will be military equipment, weapons and ammunition used by the Russian army units and Russian-backed militants in their fighting against the Ukrainian Armed Forces in eastern Ukraine. The exhibition offers an illustrative proof of Russia’s large-scale support furnished to the insurgents, as well as direct participation of the Russian regulars in the armed conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

On February 22, the March of Memory is planned to commence at 1 p.m. from the European Square and proceed with stops at the landmark places of the Revolution of Dignity. It will be crowned by the interfaith of all religious denominations of Ukraine.

A detailed agenda is available at http://bit.ly/theheavenly100en and on the Facebook page – the Heavenly Hundred – the Year of Immortality – https://www.facebook.com/theheavenly100.