--- title: "Empire State Building Glows in Blue and Yellow: Svitolina Personally Switches On the Lighting for Ukraine's 35th Independence Anniversary" description: "On Ukraine's Independence Day, the Empire State Building in New York was illuminated in blue and yellow. The symbolic lighting switch was personally activated by Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina on the eve of the US Open." date: 2026-08-25T07:10:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/empire-state-building-lit-in-ukraines-colors-svitolina tags: [empire-state-building, ukraine-independence-day, elina-svitolina, new-york, us-open] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Empire State Building Glows in Blue and Yellow: Svitolina Personally Switches On the Lighting for Ukraine's 35th Independence Anniversary ![Elina Svitolina at the ceremony lighting up the Empire State Building in blue and yellow for Ukraine's 35th Independence Day](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/25/empire-state-building-zasyayal-cvetami-ukrainy-svitolina/empire-state-building-zasyayal-cvetami-ukrainy-svitolina-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - On August 24, marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, the Empire State Building was illuminated in blue and yellow. - The symbolic lighting switch was personally activated by Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina. - The ceremony took place in New York on the eve of Svitolina's start at the US Open. - The official Empire State Building calendar confirms the choice of blue and yellow illumination in honor of Ukraine's Independence Day. - Since 2012, the building has used an LED system with more than 16 million colors for thematic illumination. On Ukraine's Independence Day, August 24, one of the world's most recognizable skyscrapers β€” the Empire State Building in New York β€” 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 β€” 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. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Empire State Building Glows in Ukraine's Colors: Svitolina Personally Switches On the Lighting](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/trips/empayr-steyt-bilding-zasyayav-kolorami-ukrayini-1787641483.html) - ΠŸΠ΅Ρ€Π²ΠΈΡ‡Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ источник: цСрСмония 24 августа, участиС Π‘Π²ΠΈΡ‚ΠΎΠ»ΠΈΠ½ΠΎΠΉ, ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΎΡ„ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΠ°Π»ΡŒΠ½Ρ‹ΠΌ ΠΊΠ°Π»Π΅Π½Π΄Π°Ρ€Π΅ΠΌ Empire State Building, LED-систСма с 2012 Π³ΠΎΠ΄Π° (16+ ΠΌΠ»Π½ Ρ†Π²Π΅Ρ‚ΠΎΠ²). - [Empire State Building Lit in the Colors of the Turkish Flag](https://www.aa.com.tr/ru/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80/%D1%8D%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%80-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%82-%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3-%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%81%D1%8F-%D0%B2-%D1%86%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D1%84%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0/2838847) - ΠšΠΎΠ½Ρ‚Π΅ΠΊΡΡ‚: ΠΈΠ»Π»ΡŽΡΡ‚Ρ€ΠΈΡ€ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ Ρ‚Ρ€Π°Π΄ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΡŽ здания ΠΌΠ΅Π½ΡΡ‚ΡŒ подсвСтку ΠΏΠΎΠ΄ Ρ€Π°Π·Π½Ρ‹Π΅ ΠΌΠ΅ΠΆΠ΄ΡƒΠ½Π°Ρ€ΠΎΠ΄Π½Ρ‹Π΅ ΠΏΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠ΄Ρ‹ (Π½Π΅ относится ΠΊ украинскому ΡΠΎΠ±Ρ‹Ρ‚ΠΈΡŽ). - [Empire State Building Kicks Off Lunar New Year 2023 Celebrations](https://www.interfax.ru/pressreleases/881884) - ΠšΠΎΠ½Ρ‚Π΅ΠΊΡΡ‚: ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΏΡ€Π°ΠΊΡ‚ΠΈΠΊΡƒ тСматичСской подсвСтки здания Π² Ρ‡Π΅ΡΡ‚ΡŒ ΠΏΡ€Π°Π·Π΄Π½ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠ² (Π΄Ρ€ΡƒΠ³ΠΎΠ΅ событиС). - [Empire State Building Lit in Red and Yellow to Honor Spain's Victory](https://tass.ru/obschestvo/27932135) - ΠšΠΎΠ½Ρ‚Π΅ΠΊΡΡ‚: ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΏΡ€Π°ΠΊΡ‚ΠΈΠΊΡƒ спортивной/событийной подсвСтки (Π΄Ρ€ΡƒΠ³ΠΎΠ΅ событиС, Π½Π΅ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΡ‚ основному Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚Ρƒ). ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When and why was the Empire State Building illuminated in blue and yellow? **A:** On August 24, on Ukraine's Independence Day and the 35th anniversary of its independence, the top of the building shone in blue and yellow in honor of this holiday. ### Q: Who switched on the lighting? **A:** The symbolic lighting switch was personally activated by Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina at a special ceremony on the skyscraper's observation deck. ### Q: Is the event linked to the US Open? **A:** Yes, the ceremony took place in New York on the eve of Elina Svitolina's start at the US Open tournament. ### Q: Has this been officially confirmed? **A:** Yes, according to the source, the official Empire State Building calendar records the choice of blue and yellow illumination on August 24 in honor of Ukraine's Independence Day. ### Q: Can the building change the color of its illumination? **A:** Yes, since 2012 the Empire State Building has used an LED system capable of displaying more than 16 million colors, and it regularly changes its color scheme to honor various events.