A joint blog by British, Canadian and Australian Ambassadors to Ukraine

You may wonder why we, the British, Canadian and Australian Ambassadors, as well as people from other Commonwealth nations, wear a poppy flower at this time of the year.

First of all, the poppy is the symbol of Remembrance Day which marks the anniversary of the official end of the First World War – at 11 o’clock on 11 November 1918.

During WW1, poppies bloomed (and do so until this day) on the fields which saw the most intense battles.  After losing his friend in that war, the Canadian physician, serviceman and poet John McCrae noticed this phenomenon and wrote his famous poem “In Flanders fields“, where the poppies symbolise the war dead.

So we wear a poppy in recognition of all who have died in conflict since then – men, women and children of all nations – as an emblem of sacrifice, grief and reconciliation.  Ukraine also officially adopted the poppy as the symbol of remembrance and reconciliation in 2015.

Every year we gather with other diplomatic missions and our Ukrainian partners to honour the memory of the fallen at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kyiv.  If you would like to join us for the ceremony on 11 November, please read this information.

In addition, the poppy has become our shared symbol of the strong will to help the living.  And we wear it to help raise funds for different charities providing vital advice and support to thousands of veterans, servicemen, women and their families.  In the UK, it’s the Royal British Legion which runs the Poppy Appeal (you can also support it in Kyiv); in Canada, it’s the Royal Canadian Legion; and in Australia, it’s Legacy.

Our countries also support the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including those injured in the Russian-backed conflict in eastern Ukraine.  We have provided complex medical treatment and rehabilitation in our countries, and continue to support the important reforms of the UAF medical services.  ATO veterans can also benefit from free English language courses (find out how to enrol).

Also, we are delighted that Ukraine, thanks to support from Canada, is one of the 17 counties to be accepted to participate in the 3^rd Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017.  The Invictus Games are the only sporting competition in the world adapted to the needs of disabled servicemen/women and veterans, and are strongly supported by HRH Prince Harry.  Their motto is I AM from William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus“.  Find out how Ukrainian veterans can get involved at this page.

So let’s remember the fallen but do not forget the living.

Judith Gough, British Ambassador to Ukraine

Roman Waschuk, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine

Bruce Edwards, Acting Australian Ambassador to Ukraine

Further information

• The British Embassy Kyiv website
• The Embassy of Canada to Ukraine website
• The Australian Embassy to Ukraine website