Address of NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov on the occasion of Kruty Heroes Remembrance Day

Today we mark the Kruty Heroes Remembrance Day. In 1918, four hundred brave young men - students and Cossacks from among "Free Cossacks" - entered into an unequal battle, stopped ten times bigger Russian-Bolshevik army of Mikhail Muraviev, which was marching towards Kyiv under the slogans "Death to bourgeois and Ukrainians!".

During the retreat of Ukrainian forces the squad of students in the twilight came out on the Bolsheviks, who at that time have already occupied Kruty. Enraged due to the significant losses, the Red Guards executed all of them to the last man...

Then the attack of the enemy was stopped for four days, but in spite of all the efforts Kyiv was seized. Rivers of blood, murders for the usage of Ukrainian language, total marauding - that's what the capital received from the Russian aggressor.

Then the Mariinsky park became one of the places of executions. A little less than a century later in the very same Mariinsky park two worlds have clashed again: the armed criminals and patriotic young people, who understood that there is no one else besides them to defend Ukraine. Then we won, but the fight is not over yet...

Again, as it was then, the enemy seeks to deprive us of freedom and independence. The enemy dreams again to storm into Kyiv and destroy all, who will not fall on his knees. But, unlike in 1918, we were able to stop the aggressor and save the country. Ukraine paid a terrible price for it, having given the lives of its best sons. Eternal remembrance to the heroes, who died for their homeland, having stopped the barbaric invasion towards the West.

The tragic lessons of 1918 teach us that the endurance and unity are extremely important to save and protect the state. I am confident that adamancy of our warriors and unity of all our citizens will not leave the aggressor a single chance, and our struggle for freedom and Ukraine will be victorious!