Today, January 21, a commemorative event for the 160th anniversary of the beginning of the January Uprising of 1863-1864 was held in the National Historical and Architectural Museum "Kyiv Fortress".

The event was attended by the Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yevhen Perebyinis, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki and Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine Valdemaras Sarapinas.

The anti-imperial uprising that had begun in January 1863 became a large-scale armed demonstration of the peoples of the former Rzeczpospolita (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) against the russian autocracy. The January Uprising, which took place under the slogan "For our freedom and yours”, is a common historical experience of the Polish, Lithuanian, Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples. The memory of the uprising is especially important today in the conditions of the current confrontation with the aggression of the new russian imperialism.

"I am glad that we managed to organize this event with joint efforts. It is very important during this war to go back to the real story. Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have always had common thoughts about not only freedom, but also common dreams. Therefore, this year we have planned several events that would really explain and tell Ukrainians, first of all, about what happened 160 years ago," said Oleksandr Tkachenko.

According to Yevhen Perebyinis, every nation has milestones that it can be proud of and which are heroic pages that go down in history. Moreover, such milestones are not always victorious, but very often contribute to national awakening.

"And the January Uprising was exactly such a milestone for Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians, and Belarusians. Today we honor the memory of those who died during those events. But we must understand that we honor this memory also in order to understand today's context. The two-headed russian imperialist monster did not start this war against the entire civilized world today, and it is necessary and important for young people to know this. It was already 10, 160, and 400 years ago - both for us Ukrainians and for our Polish and Lithuanian brothers. Then this monster was not finally defeated and today it raises its head again. It is obvious that our ancestors did not work well here, but they laid the foundation for us to definitely win," said the Deputy Minister.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki, emphasized that without the January Uprising, there would have been no actual victory after the World War I.

"All the leaders of the states that were able to build independence at that time were the heirs of the January Uprising. Not every defeat is actually final. Sometimes it leaves behind a legacy of desire, faith in one's freedom. Today we have to win. And I agree: this is not a war against Ukraine, it is a war against order in Europe and the desire for freedom of our peoples. And that's why we have to be together, like 160 years ago, until victory," said Bartosz Cichocki.

In turn, the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine Valdemaras Sarapinas added that the rebels themselves had been very brave people, and the leaders of the rebels - Lithuanians who are buried in Vilnius, were heroes and became real symbols of freedom.

"Freedom is the main value, it starts with each of us. Lithuanians have always been with peoples who love freedom. I think you will agree with me: the slogan of the rebels "For our freedom and yours" is very relevant today. Today, we support our Ukrainian sisters and brothers in their struggle, which means also in our struggle against rashists. And Lithuania and Poland were supporting, are doing it nowadays and will further support you, help you in this struggle. Believe me, in our countries this is an axiom that is understood and supported by everyone - both the leaders of our states and ordinary people. We will stay with you until victory," summed up the Lithuanian Ambassador.

During the event, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the monument to the activists of the January Uprising, who were executed in the Kyiv Fortress.