For the Ukrainian Embassy, this year’s Independence Day could be its most meaningful ever.

As Ukrainian national soldiers marched on parade in Kiev’s Independence Square, pro-Russian separatists have marched dozens of captured government troops through the city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.

Embassy officials, Ukrainian expatriates and friends of Ukraine celebrated the country’s Independence Day with a special service at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Seoul and a procession from City Hall to Gyeongbokgung Palace on Aug. 24.

“Every year we traditionally conduct such a procession as a way of celebrating independence, but we also conducted this procession in downtown Seoul this year to introduce Ukrainian culture, dress and traditions to the Korean public,” said Yulia Savelieva, cultural, humanitarian and information third secretary at the Ukrainian Embassy. Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union on Aug. 24, 1991.

Metropolitan Ambrose-Aristotle Zographos of the Korean Orthodox Church delivered a special prayer at the church service on Aug. 24 for Ukraine’s future prosperity and for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Pro-Russian rebels have battled national troops to succeed from a central government they claim will persecute the Russian speaking minority living mostly in the eastern half of the country.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)