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Unity of faith is the main theme of the event, Zwozdesky said as local clergy prepared to deliver a joint prayer service. Both the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada and the Ukrainian Catholic Church participated.

The event also celebrates the 125th anniversary of Ukrainian settlement in Canada, Zwozdesky said.

Photo by Shaughn Butts / Postmedia

Many people came to see Ruslana, who became a key figure in the mass protests known as Euromaidan in 2013 and 2014, when many Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv for integration into the European Union.

Those protests culminated in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, which resulted in the ouster of president Viktor Yanukovych.

“Maidan” in Ukrainian means “square” and Maidan Nezalezhnosti is an important square in Kyiv, having been the site of many significant social and political protests in the country’s history.

Holding independence day celebrations in Edmonton’s most well-known square fit well with the theme, said Darka Tarnawsky, a committee member of Sviato 25.

Edmonton is known in Ukraine for having a strong Ukrainian community and Ruslana was “very excited” to perform here, said Tarnawsky.

“The whole reason for being here — this celebration of the 25th anniversary of independence — is something that’s very important to her because she has a great love for Ukraine and she fights very hard on a lot of levels for its freedom and its growth as an independent country.”

Although the event was not focused on politics, said Tarnawsky,some of the proceeds will go to funding Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea.

“It’s all about celebrating our culture and our country,” she said. “There’s so much pride for our homeland even here.”