On Ukraine's Independence Day, August 24, one of the world's most recognizable skyscrapers — the Empire State Building in New York — changed the color of its evening illumination to blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. According to WAVE RBC.UA, citing the official Empire State Building website, the top of the famous building shone in Ukraine's national colors to mark the 35th anniversary of its independence. Footage of the ceremony also spread across international photo agencies and social media.
A Symbolic Gesture in the Heart of New York
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina personally visited the skyscraper and took part in a special ceremony timed to the 35th anniversary of Independence. In her words and social media posts, the athlete climbed to the observation deck and symbolically "switched" the lighting, after which the building's facade lit up in blue and yellow lights in the evening. The gesture became a public highlight of the Ukrainian holiday in one of the United States' main tourist and media hubs.
Elina Svitolina's Role and the Link to the US Open
The ceremony took place in New York on the eve of Svitolina's start at the US Open tournament, giving the event an additional sports and media context. In the published footage, the tennis player poses in a white outfit against the backdrop of the event's decor, and photos with the skyscraper appeared in international photo agencies and in the athlete's personal Instagram account. Thus, the symbolic switch-on of the lighting coincided with her professional season on the American tour.
Confirmation by the Official Calendar
The official Empire State Building calendar, according to the source, also records that on August 24 the colors chosen for the illumination were specifically yellow and blue "in honor of Ukraine's Independence Day." This confirms that the change in color was not accidental but was planned as part of the building's regular practice of marking significant international dates and public initiatives.
The Tradition of Illumination and Technical Capabilities
The Empire State Building has been changing the color of its illumination for years to honor major international events, national holidays, and public campaigns. Since 2012, the building has used an LED system capable of displaying more than 16 million colors, allowing the color scheme to be flexibly adjusted to a specific occasion. In various years, the skyscraper has, for example, been lit in the colors of the Turkish flag, in red and yellow tones to celebrate sports victories, and as part of Lunar New Year celebrations — demonstrating a lasting tradition of "speaking" illumination.
The Significance of the Event
The blue and yellow illumination of the Empire State Building became a notable international gesture of support for Ukraine on the anniversary of its independence and attracted the attention of a global audience. The combination of a symbolic ceremony featuring a well-known athlete with the eve of the US Open amplified the event's resonance, turning the architectural landmark into a media platform for public expression.
