The Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is one of the most important holidays for our country, which has been heroically resisting large-scale russian aggression for almost four years. To mark this occasion, special events were held at the War Museum: the opening of an exhibition of combat flags from Ground Forces units and the premiere of the film "225," dedicated to the history of the legendary 225th Separate Assault Regiment.
The exhibition was opened by the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Hennadii Shapovalov. “These banners are the personal history of every unit. And today, I entrust the Museum with preserving this memory.”
Andrii Podik, Head of the Communications Department of the Ground Forces Command , spoke about the exhibition: “The value of this exhibition lies in the fact that we have gathered more than 80 flags under one roof—the symbolism of over 80 different Ground Forces units.”
Yurii Savchuk, Director General of the Museum, emphasized in his speech that these banners are true relics of the Ukrainian people: “From now on, the combat flags of the brigades—symbols of the resilience and courage of our army—will be kept in a place of honor at the Museum.”
Lieutenant General Hennadii Shapovalov, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Yurii Savchuk, Head of the Museum, solemnly signed the acts of transfer of the flags for permanent preservation in the Museum’s collection.
The exhibition opening was hosted by Vita Tytarenko, an officer of the 1st Center for Information and Communication Support of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Immediately following the exhibition opening, the premiere of the documentary film about the 225th Separate Assault Regiment took place in the Museum’s cinema hall.
The film, directed by Dmytro Kuievda and created by the Media Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, tells the story of the unit that has become a symbol of modern Ukrainian assault troops.
Brigadier General Oleksii Shevchenko, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, delivered a welcoming address before the screening. “This is a story about those who were sellers, managers, security guards, or workers just yesterday, and today they have become warriors holding the defense line of Ukraine,” he noted. Brigadier General Oleksiy Shevchenko also presented awards to the servicemen of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment.
The heroes of the documentary included the Regiment Commander, Hero of Ukraine Oleh Shyriaiev, as well as soldiers and officers of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, also participated in the filming. Notably, the interview with the Commander-in-Chief was recorded at the War Museum.
After the documentary screening, a discussion was held with the heroes and creators of the film.
Oleh Shyriaiev emphasized: “We are not actors, but when I was approached with the proposal to make a film, I supported the idea because I wanted everyone to see my guys. It is important for the country to know that behind every line, behind every liberated meter, there are specific people, their resilience, their losses, and their fight.”
“The 225th Separate Assault Regiment was the first to enter the Kursk region. It held positions in Bakhmut. It stopped the enemy near Sumy and destroyed them in the Zaporizhzhia region. They are always where it is hardest. And we wanted to show all of this without embellishment,” stressed Colonel Bohdan Senyk, Head of the Public Relations Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The film’s director, Dmytro Kuievda, spoke about the work process. The creative team aimed to share as many frontline moments as possible with the assault troops to capture them for history. “The film includes retrospective footage and shots taken literally recently on the frontline,” the director shared.
The film is now available for public viewing on the YouTube channel “Defenders of Independence” («Захисники незалежності»).
The Museum highly values the opportunity to participate in important cultural initiatives that contribute to preserving the memory of Ukraine’s War for Independence.
