On the eve of the Unification Act anniversary, January 21, 1990, a Human Chain of Unity stretched for almost 700 kilometers. It began in Ivano-Frankivsk at the Central People’s House — the place where the WUPR parliament met in 1919 — and extended through Stryi (with a branch toward Zakarpattia), Lviv, Ternopil, Rivne, Zhytomyr, and ended in Kyiv.

Over a million Ukrainians stood along roads and squares, holding hands. In places where there were less people, the chain was symbolically extended with flags and banners.

The Human Chain became a powerful signal to the Soviet authorities: Ukraine aspires to be independent. For many, it was their first experience participating in a political action and their first public appearance with a blue-and-yellow flag.