Victor Yushchenko took part in a ceremony to open a monument to Ukraine’s Hetman Danylo Apostol in the village of Velyki Sorochyntsi, Poltava region, President's press office reported.
The Head of State said this historical figure had played a significant role in the building of Ukraine, reminding those present Danylo was the country's last democratically elected hetman.
“He cared about the nation and spared no effort to see Ukraine united in the period when nobody believed in this, when Ukraine was dismembered,” he said.
Yushchenko urged Ukrainians to learn lessons of their past and never be indifferent to attempts of separatism and federalism.
“I would like to ask you today to be consolidated to uphold Ukrainian principles and defend Ukrainian positions,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko and his office, as well as to Poltava governor Valeriy Asadchev, for their initiative to build this monument.
Following the ceremony the President visited the Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya Church, which was built by Danylo Apostol as his family's burial vault.
