The National “Pie of Independence” Initiative Returns to Ukraine for Independence Day
Ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day, the public initiative “Pie of Independence” returns with a new campaign aimed at establishing the tradition of baking a festive pie on August 24 as a symbol of unity, culture, and Ukrainian identity.
As in previous years, the initiative is supported by 1+1 Media and the 1+1 Ukraine TV channel, as well as the “Breakfast with 1+1” and TSN projects, which have been helping promote the initiative among Ukrainians for the past three years.
“Pie of Independence” is a national culinary initiative that brings together Ukrainians, businesses, cultural and educational institutions, military personnel, and local communities around a new way of celebrating Independence Day.
Over the past two years, dozens of communities in Ukraine and abroad, service members from various brigades and battalions, Ukrainian companies, restaurants, and educational institutions have joined the project. In 2025, the nationwide “My Pie of Independence” competition also took place, bringing together original recipes from across the country. The initiative’s total media reach exceeded 18.2 million contacts.
In 2026, marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence, the campaign is entering a new stage of development. The organizers aim to make the “Pie of Independence” an integral part of August 24 celebrations in Ukrainian families and companies, with the tradition being passed on to future generations.
The core idea of the project remains unchanged: it is not the recipe that matters, but the shared ritual itself. The pie can be anything — with apples or plums, cherries, poppy seeds, nuts, or any other seasonal ingredients. It is the act of baking together that creates a new Ukrainian tradition.
This year’s campaign will involve even broader participation from Ukrainian communities and the diaspora, a new National Recipe Competition, the engagement of businesses, restaurants, and chefs, as well as a large-scale information campaign across media and social networks.
“When we first started working on this idea, we dreamed of creating a new Ukrainian tradition. Today, we see it gradually becoming part of the lives of people, communities, and companies. To a great extent, this became possible thanks to the support of the media, which helped transform an idea into a movement joined by Ukrainians around the world.
I am proud that the ‘Breakfast with 1+1’ team, our hosts, and ambassadors are part of this movement. Last year, we were literally flooded with pie recipes from every corner of the country, and I hope this trend will grow even further this year. We are sincerely grateful to every partner who helps this tradition flourish. And we thank our colleagues at 1+1 Media, for whom the Pie of Independence has already become part of our corporate culture,” said Yuliia Zhmakina, Director of the Morning Broadcasting Department at 1+1 Media and one of the initiative’s founders.
Everyone is welcome to join the initiative. To participate, simply bake your own “Pie of Independence,” share its story on social media, and use the hashtags:
#пирігнезалежності #пирігUA #pyrihIndependency #pyrihUA #деньнезалежності
