Andriy Parubiy, a People’s Deputy of Ukraine from the “European Solidarity” faction, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the eighth convocation, Commandant of the Maidan Self-Defense, and Hero of Ukraine, has become a laureate of the UP100 list – one hundred Ukrainians who shape the country’s independence and future (posthumously).
“The last few weeks have been full of bitterness and anger for all Ukrainian patriots. In a time of such bitter revelations, many people are giving up. Disappointment is evident in the statements of our allies. And the enemy is spreading despair everywhere. But I see no reason for despondency. Everyone understands that besides the criminal and political dimensions, the crisis also has a moral dimension. It is precisely moral strength, patriotism, and faith in their country that have allowed and continue to allow millions of Ukrainians, soldiers and civilians, to hold Ukraine on their shoulders. It is precisely in these days that it would be appropriate for each of us to remember such people, because memories also add strength,” wrote “European Solidarity” leader, Fifth President Petro Poroshenko, in a column dedicated to Andriy Parubiy.
“I am talking about my brother-in-arms, Andriy Parubiy. Andriy’s whole life was straightforward and sincere, without twists and turns, he walked the path of serving a high goal – a free Ukraine. Even if it sounds lofty. Andriy held key state positions, was the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Secretary of the NSDC (National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine). But in those roles, he remained the same Maidan Commandant – sincere, reliable, honest in word and deed, as we knew him during the days of confrontation on Hrushevsky Street or on the night of the assault on the Trade Union House,” Poroshenko recalls.
“Andriy was one of the few in politics who could describe himself with Shevchenko’s words: ‘We were not devious with you, we just walked, we have no grain of untruth behind us.’ But he would not have said that because of his extraordinary modesty. He did not preach; he avoided grandiosity on high rostrums. Andriy set a quiet, but strong moral example. Not everyone understood this then. The ‘clowns from the Quarter’ (a reference to a comedy show) actually mocked him not for his diction or manner of speaking, but for the high values he embodied. And only under the pressure of nationwide support for the petition was the Decree on awarding him the title of Hero of Ukraine issued,” Poroshenko stated.
“We are currently working hard on perpetuating Andriy’s memory: squares, maidans (public squares), and side streets. Ukraine does not have a tradition of naming laws after deputies. But I would very much like the Law ‘On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language’ to be remembered as the Parubiy Law. His role was decisive. He lived for the army, he lived for the language, he lived for faith. And he remains with us,” Poroshenko writes.