KyivPride 2026 brought together thousands of people in the centre of Kyiv
Radio Free Europe reports this
How KyivPride 2026 went
This year’s Equality March took place under the slogan ‘Our families are part of Ukraine’. Participants in the march called on the Verkhovna Rada to take the rights of LGBTIQ+ people into account in legislation. In particular, they opposed provisions in the new Civil Code which define the family exclusively as a union between a man and a woman. Among those taking part in the march were representatives of civil society organisations, activists and members of the armed forces.
One of the servicemen, with the call sign ‘Psikh’, explained that he supports the option to formalise relationships.
“I want to register a partnership with him and call him my husband — not just my husband, but I need there to be a legal document too,” he said.
Two demonstrations took place simultaneously in the centre of Kyiv
Traffic restrictions were in place in the capital’s city centre due to the mass events. Law enforcement officers separated the participants of the different events: KyivPride took place near Taras Shevchenko Park, whilst supporters of the traditional family gathered on Khreshchatyk. Participants in the ‘March of Tradition’ stated that they were demonstrating in support of the traditional family model.
What is known about the Equality March in Kyiv
As previously reported by The Public, traffic was temporarily restricted and public transport routes were diverted in central Kyiv on 21 June due to the Equality March. The Equality March has been held in Kyiv since 2015. This year’s march was the tenth in the history of ‘KyivPride’.
In 2025, over 1,500 people took part in the event, including representatives of the LGBTIQ+ military community, civil society organisations and diplomatic missions.
In 2024, the number of participants was limited due to security concerns. In 2022–2023, the Equality March in Kyiv was not held due to the full-scale war — Ukrainian contingents joined Pride events in other countries.
Before the full-scale invasion began, the largest marches took place between 2018 and 2021. In particular, in 2021, the Equality March attracted over 7,000 participants.
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