Kharkiv Holds First Pride March Since Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion

About 200 people joined KharkivPride’s first march on foot since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, walking through underground metro stations, before holding a protest near the regional administration building. The 500-meter (550-yard) march took place on Saturday, along a route designed for safety in the northeastern city, which remains close to the front line. Participants included civil society activists, LGBTQ+ allies, active-duty service members, and veterans.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The procession began on the platform of the Derzhprom metro station, continued through an underground passage to the Universytet station, and ended near an exit from the subway system. Participants then staged a stationary protest outside the Kharkiv regional administration building, a location that organizers described as symbolic for public demonstrations in the city during the full-scale war. The march was closed to the general public. Participants registered in advance and underwent security checks. Organizers said they worked with regional police to prepare several possible scenarios and planned the route around wartime security risks. KharkivPride said it remains Ukraine’s only Pride event held in a front-line city. Organizational demands The event highlighted four demands through separate performances. In the first, participants displayed a 28-meter (92-foot) scroll containing proposed amendments to Ukraine’s draft Civil Code. KharkivPride argues that the current proposal contains discriminatory provisions and should be withdrawn. Other Topics of Interest Canada Considers Joining EU €90 Billion Ukraine Loan Ottawa and Brussels hope to agree on Canada’s contribution before an EU-Canada summit in Montreal in late October “More than four months have passed since the first reading of the draft new Civil Code,” KharkivPride co-organizer Yakiv Lavrynetz said. “We prepared 95 pages of amendments and personally met with Ruslan Stefanchuk [Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine], but we still have neither specifics nor clear decisions – only promises.” Lavrynetz said organizers would continue calling for the draft to be withdrawn while it remained in its current form. The KharkivPride march in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo provided by the KharkivPride press service) A second performance focused on hate crimes. Participants listed reported attacks against LGBTQ+ people, their allies, and previous KharkivPride events. Items used in past attacks, including antiseptic dye and pepper spray, served as props. The organization called for changes to Ukraine’s criminal law to ensure that alleged homophobic and transphobic motives are considered during investigations and court proceedings. The third performance addressed the policies of the Kharkiv city government. Participants displayed an oversized mock “Kharkiv resident card” divided into two columns. One listed what organizers said the city guaranteed, including benches, trash cans, fountains, decorative plastic tulips, corruption, and populism. The other listed what they said was being ignored: shelters, funding for Ukraine’s armed forces, respect, accessibility, equality, and honesty. KharkivPride called on the city government to prioritize accessible shelters, civil protection, inclusive infrastructure, and equal rights. “I understand what Pride means for Kharkiv. Despite threats from bigots and the city authorities’ silent acceptance of violence, we held KharkivPride today,” co-organizer Anna Sharyhina said. Sharyhina, who also heads the Kharkiv Women’s Association Sphere, said the movement would continue demanding greater inclusion and equality from the state. “Because this is about freedom, diversity, and human rights. It is about us, our city, and our Ukraine in the greater European family.” The final performance honored LGBTQ+ Ukrainian service members killed in the war. Participants held their portraits and read several of their stories. Organizers said the partners of fallen LGBTQ+ troops lack many of the rights granted to legally recognized family members, including the ability to carry out a partner’s final wishes or receive certain state benefits. Ukraine does not provide nationwide legal recognition for same-sex partnerships. In 2023, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ukraine’s failure to provide legal recognition and protection to a same-sex couple violated the European Convention on Human Rights. The judgment did not require Ukraine to introduce same-sex marriage but found that the couple had been treated differently without sufficient justification. KharkivPride described legal recognition of civil partnerships as an initial step toward marriage equality. During September, the organization was working with the Shields charity foundation to raise Hr.500,000 ($11,230) for a pickup truck for Ukraine’s 160th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.