Ukrainian nationalists held their annual march on Oct. 14 in Kyiv. Demonstrators march the streets of Kyiv every year on Oct. 14, when Orthodox Christians celebrate the Intercession of the Theotokos (Mother of God), known commonly as Pokrov, or Day of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin. Historically, the holiday was the major one for Ukrainian Cossacks and in 2014 was pronounced the Cossacks Day, an official holiday.
It is also the day when the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, known under its Ukrainian abbreviation UPA, was created on Oct. 14, 1942. The paramilitary and later partisan army engaged in conflicts during World War II against Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland and Czechoslovakia.
Ukrainians also celebrate Defender Day on Oct. 14, established in 2014 to pay tribute to all those who fought and are currently fighting for state sovereignty.
