On Aug. 24, Ukraine celebrates Independence Day. Modern Ukrainian independence is 35 years old, although it would be more accurate to speak of the restoration of its independence, as the history of its statehood dates to the times of Kyivan Rus and was affirmed in the modern period in1918. Ahead of Independence Day, the Bouquet Kyiv Stage cultural festival took place in Kyiv. As part of the festival, several discussions with public figures were held on the grounds of St. Sophia’s Cathedral, moderated by Kyiv Post editor-in-chief Bohdan Nahaylo, focusing on the achievements, problems, failures, and prospects of 35 years of Ukrainian independence.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The discussions were attended by former dissident, political prisoner, and Ukrainian lawmaker Oles Shevchenko, diplomat and former foreign minister ambassador Vadym Prystaiko, renowned writer Andriy Kurkov, lawmaker and businesswoman Kira Rudik, British journalist Peter Dickinson; and former Ukrainian ambassador Oleh Shamshur. Kyiv Post publishes some of the highlights of the discussions. Andriy Kurkov: “The Soviet Union was a tenant who did not pay utilities and did not pay rent. And that ended in 1991. Since then, basically, there are no tenants. We are all owners of this land; we all live here, in a territory of freedom, in fact. And this moment when Ukraine gained independence was the birth of this space of freedom that we entered. We shaped it ourselves and continue to shape it, because it did not come easily; it had its price. Journalists were killed, there were attacks, there was a struggle for freedom of the press and freedom of speech, and now, during the war, we still have problems faced by bloggers and others, but basically, we live in a territory of freedom.”