On Wednesday, May 20, during a working visit to Sweden, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was presented with a unique replica of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s battle standard, handcrafted by artisans at the Swedish Army Museum.

“Today we are bringing an important artifact of Ukrainian heritage back from oblivion. My Swedish colleague Maria Malm-Stenergård and I agreed on this last year in Uzhhorod, and I am grateful to her for fulfilling these agreements,” the Foreign Minister noted.

Andrii Sybiha added that today’s event is a continuation of the implementation of an important initiative by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the return of historical figures, artifacts, and national heritage.

“We have learned our lessons since the start of this war. And one of them is that culture is part of our national security. Our language, identity, and culture are our weapons,” the minister emphasized.

The Ukrainian side highly values Sweden’s support and expresses its gratitude to the Swedish Army Museum and Swedish craftsmen for creating an authentic replica of this unique artifact.

For reference: after the Battle of Berestechko in 1651, the original banner was lost, and later, during the Great Northern War, it ended up in Sweden as a war trophy, where it has been kept for centuries.