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By Yana Zhuryk

Five years ago, on Aug. 24, 2021, independent Ukraine turned 30. I remember that Independence Day vividly — a big celebration in central Kyiv, the Antonov An-225 Mriya (the biggest airplane ever built) flying over Maidan Nezalezhnosti Square, flags everywhere, concerts, the feeling of pride, and also, the familiarity that comes with a holiday you've celebrated your whole life. Nobody I knew spent it bracing for anything.