Beginning of May is connected with heroic past, firmness and courage of protectors, who put at stake their lives to fight for peace.

To commemorate victims in World War II our state joined the Europe and the world in celebrating capitulation of Nazi Germany and, therefore, a Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation.

Symbol of Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation is a red poppy.

In Ukrainian mythology poppy has a lot of meaning: symbol of the Sun, endlessness of existence, luxurious beauty, volition, pride, sleep, poison, talisman from the evil spirit, and also a boy-Cossack, blood, death. In national songs poppy symbolizes a Cossack, who died protecting Ukraine.

In folk art poppy is a symbol, which is connected with war and army. In this meaning poppy can be found in works by Ivan Franko (“Hey, Sich comes”), Mykhailo Stelmach (“Poppy blooms”), Oles Honchar (“Standard-bearers”).

This symbol appeared in the world literature owing to poems by 2 writers: Canadian military doctor John McCrae, inspired by battles in Belgium in 1915, wrote a poem “In Flanders Fields” (the poem begins with words “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow between the crosses row on row”), and a worker at Young Women Christian Association Moina Michael, who wrote a poem “We shall keep the Faith” (according to the poem she promised to wear red poppy in commemoration of perished). In 1920 American Legion accepted poppy as official symbol, and in 1921, red poppies became a symbol of British Loyal Legion. In Poland this flower is a symbol of victory on 11-18 of May, 1944.

Thus, poppy is an international symbol of victims, who participated in military and civic conflicts, commemoration; allusion of track from bullets that signifies suffering and death.

We remember the price of the World War II tragedy for Ukrainians. We remember that people, protecting their land, always win. It makes us stronger. It is a source of our nowadays victory.