What did Kyiv's late August 2021 look like in politics?
A look back at the diplomatic visits, a new presidential honour and a change in e-passport rules that marked the days before 27 August 2021.
What was happening in Ukrainian public life by 27 August 2021? The preceding days had been busy in Kyiv, with two high-profile foreign visitors, a first-time state honour and a legal change affecting identity documents.
On 21 August, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived in the Ukrainian capital for a three-day visit. During it he met President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The same day, the President's Distinction "National Legend of Ukraine" was presented for the first time. It was a new addition to the state's way of recognising individuals.
On 22 August, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Kyiv and also met President Zelensky. Her visit came one day after the patriarch's had begun, so the Ukrainian leadership received two prominent guests within roughly 48 hours.
On 23 August, amendments to legislation on e-passports came into force. This was the most practical of the developments for ordinary citizens, as it concerned the documents they use to prove their identity.
Taken together, the days leading up to 27 August 2021 combined ceremony, diplomacy and regulatory change in the capital.
