On 2 October 2026, on the 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Non-Violence, the Embassy of Ukraine in India was honoured to take part in the exhibition “We the People: Nonviolent Movements after Gandhi” at the National Gandhi Museum in New Delhi.
Ukraine’s contribution to the exhibition presented our country’s long tradition of civic resistance and struggle for democratic change through nonviolent action. Among the milestones presented was the “Ukrainian Wave” of January 1990, when Ukrainians formed a massive human chain to symbolise the unity of the Ukrainian lands. The action marked the anniversary of the 1919 Act of Unification of Ukraine. The exhibition also featured the student-led Revolution on Granite of October 1990, the Orange Revolution of 2004, and the Revolution of Dignity of 2013–2014.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief of Mission of Ukraine in India, Minister-Counsellor Artem Nosko, noted that this tradition reaches even further back. The Ukrainian Helsinki Group, founded in 1976, brought together human rights defenders and dissidents who challenged Soviet repression and stood for fundamental rights and civil liberties.
For decades, Ukrainians have repeatedly demonstrated their determination to shape their own future through peaceful civic action. Ukraine regained its independence through a democratic and nonviolent national movement. Even in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, unarmed Ukrainians confronted Russian military columns, standing in front of tanks and trying to stop armoured vehicles with their bare hands.
At the same time, Ukrainians living in the temporarily occupied territories continue this tradition of nonviolent resistance. Despite the risks of repression, they demonstrate their connection with Ukraine through Ukrainian symbols, leaflets, public messages, symbolic actions and flash mobs, keeping Ukraine’s presence visible even under occupation.
It was a privilege to present this important part of Ukraine’s history alongside the experiences of other nations and movements from around the world.
The connection between Ukraine and Mahatma Gandhi is also reflected in Kyiv, where a bronze statue of Gandhi was unveiled in the A.V. Fomin Botanical Garden on 2 October 2020. The surrounding space, named the “Oasis of Peace”, honours his philosophy of satyagraha and nonviolence. Gandhi’s teachings on truth, moral courage and peaceful resistance continue to resonate far beyond India and inspire people around the world.
We are deeply grateful to the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred – Revolution of Dignity Museum for providing the archival materials that made Ukraine’s presentation possible.
Our sincere thanks go to the National Gandhi Museum for this meaningful initiative and to its Director, Shri A. Annamalai, for personally curating the exhibition and giving Ukraine the opportunity to share its legacy of nonviolence on this important day.