On Monday, 22 June 2026, marked the 95th anniversary of the birth of Hennadii Udovenko — an outstanding Ukrainian diplomat, statesman, President of the 52nd Session of the UN General Assembly and one of the founders of Ukraine’s modern diplomatic service.
On this occasion, the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a commemorative meeting attended by his colleagues, friends, students and like-minded individuals.
The day of honouring the memory of Hennadii Udovenko began with a flower-laying ceremony at his grave at the Baikove Cemetery. Later, during the commemorative event held within the academy’s walls, participants remembered Hennadii Udovenko as a world-class diplomat, a wise mentor, a principled statesman and a person who made an invaluable contribution to shaping the foreign policy course of independent Ukraine.
At the beginning of the meeting, Director of the Diplomatic Academy Ihor Ostash emphasised Hennadii Udovenko’s outstanding role in the establishment of modern Ukrainian statehood and diplomacy:
‘For a young independent Ukraine, the election of Hennadii Udovenko as President of the 52nd Session of the UN General Assembly was not only a personal triumph for the eminent diplomat but also an important international recognition for a state that was just asserting its place in world politics. His authority, professional experience and diplomatic mastery helped strengthen Ukraine’s positions in leading international arenas, where issues of its security and future were being decided.’ Ihor Ostash paid special attention to preserving the professional heritage of Ukrainian diplomacy: ‘The greatest value of any diplomatic service is not buildings, not positions, and not even documents. It is the people and the experience they pass on to future generations.’
Memories of Hennadii Udovenko were shared by former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Volodymyr Ohryzko and Borys Tarasiuk, Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Valerii Tsybukh, Ihor Kharchenko, Volodymyr Yelchenko, Anatolii Dron, Yurii Kostenko, Oleh Skoropad, Oleksandr Slipchenko, Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi, as well as numerous colleagues and followers of the outstanding diplomat.
During the meeting, the Director of the Diplomatic Academy announced the creation of the Diplomatic Guild — a platform designed to unite representatives of different generations of the diplomatic service to preserve institutional memory, foster mentorship, and strengthen the traditions of the Ukrainian diplomatic school. As a continuation of this initiative, a book of memoirs about Hennadii Udovenko will be prepared. Ihor Ostash called on everyone who knew the prominent diplomat and worked alongside him to join in its creation.
One of the most touching moments of the commemorative event was a video message from his great-granddaughter, Alisa Baranovska, which vividly demonstrated the continuity of generations and the family’s living memory of the distinguished Ukrainian diplomat.
Hennadii Udovenko left behind not only a significant diplomatic legacy but also a moral compass for those dedicating their lives to serving the state. His principle of the three P’s (in Ukrainian) — ‘Professionalism, Integrity, Patriotism’ — has become a true code of conduct for the Ukrainian diplomat, and his memory lives on in the traditions, values and daily work of the new generations defending Ukraine’s interests across the globe.
