Themes by tag: religion

Mykhailo Brytsyn is the pastor of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Grace in Melitopol, Zaporizhia oblast (the city has been under russian occupation since March 2022). Despite the occupation, the church has continued to hold services for its congregation and provide aid to locals. During this time, an interfaith prayer gathering was organized in the city square, uniting clergy from different denominations. Meanwhile, the occupiers were attempting to coerce local religious leaders into collaborating with them.

On September 11, 2022, russian forces stormed the Church of  Grace in the middle of a service. Armed, masked soldiers blocked the exits, trapping worshippers inside. The soldiers fingerprinted everyone, photographed their documents, and recorded their addresses. Church ministers were taken away for interrogation.

Pastor Mykhailo was interrogated as well. The occupiers raided his home and seized church documents. The russians issued him an ultimatum: “We give you two days to get out, or we’ll kill you”.

The occupiers turned the Church of Grace into their so-called “Ministry of Culture of Zaporizhia Oblast” and cut down its cross.

Today, Pastor Mykhailo holds online services for his scattered congregation. The Church of Grace also organizes prayer breakfasts for displaced people in various cities.

Beyond his pastoral duties, Brytsyn collects and analyzes evidence of russian crimes against religious communities in occupied Ukraine. He monitors the situation, compiles detailed reports, and presents them to the international community.

Journalists can arrange an interview with Rev. Mykhailo Brytsyn in person in Rivne oblast or online.

• occupation
• religion
• russian crimes
• Rivne

Macarios Lewis, a Brazilian Orthodox priest, spent many years serving in the Ukrainian vicariate in the United States and Canada. After returning to Brazil, he requested permission from his bishop to move to Ukraine.

“Padre” arrived shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion and soon met the commander of the Second International Legion, who supported his wish to serve as a Ukrainian military chaplain. In this role, he deployed to the front line.

Fluent in six languages, including Ukrainian, Macarios ministers to soldiers at the front. He says many foreign legionnaires are unfamiliar with Ukraine’s history, and he works to fill those gaps.

After Ukraine’s victory, the Brazilian priest has no intention of returning home, he plans to stay and continue helping Ukrainians.

Macarios Lewis is currently on the front line. Interviews can be arranged with him in person or online by prior request.

• religion

Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Azman has addressed the President of the United States in a song. The musical piece was published on his Facebook page with the caption: “My appeal to Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, to help Ukraine achieve a just and lasting peace.”

The song, performed in English, is set to video footage showing the aftermath of Russian strikes on Ukraine, including the April 24 attack on Kyiv that killed 13 people and injured nearly 90.

“You are the one the whole world is watching, your every move, everything you do. Don’t let the line between good and evil be blurred. The light will always rise, the darkness will not prevail. Donald Trump, it’s time to fight in the name of light,” the lyrics say.

Journalists can arrange an online interview with Moshe Azman in advance.

For reference: Moshe Reuven Azman serves as the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine. Recently, he hosted Pastor Mark Burns – often described as Donald Trump’s spiritual advisor – during his visit to Ukraine, including stops in Bucha and Irpin. In September 2024, a memorial service was held for Matityahu (Anton Samborsky), the Chief Rabbi’s adopted son, who was killed in the war.

• culture
• religion

The consecration and installation of a cross on the Trinity Gate Church will take place on April 15 at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Kyiv Cave Monastery) National Conservation Area. The event marks the resumption of restoration work on one of the Lavra’s oldest and most treasured sacred sites.

Built in the 12th century by Nicholas Sviatosha Prince of Chernihiv, the Trinity Gate Church has survived in its original form – a rare example in Ukrainian ecclesiastical architecture. During the era of Ivan Mazepa, it was adorned in the Ukrainian Baroque style, featuring elaborate stucco work and distinctive murals.

By 2022, 75% of the church’s restoration had been completed under the President of Ukraine’s “Great Restoration” program. Work was then suspended due to the full-scale war. In December 2024, through collaboration with the Work.UA team, restoration efforts resumed, focusing on critical sections of the roof and preparing the church for its final restoration phase.

The installation of the cross represents not only a key milestone in the restoration of this sacred monument, but also a powerful symbol of resilience, renewal, and the enduring spirit of Ukrainian heritage amid the devastation of war.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

• culture
• religion
• Kyiv

On February 26, 2022, Vasyl Vyrozub, rector of the Holy Trinity Church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Odesa, was taken prisoner by russian forces. He was part of a mission to Zmiinyi (Snake) Island to recover the bodies of border guards who were initially presumed dead.

The Ukrainian vessel transporting Vasyl was seized by the russian cruiser Moskva, and he, along with two other military chaplains and a doctor, was captured. Vasyl spent 70 days in russian captivity, enduring torture. His captors subjected him and his fellow prisoners to relentless interrogations, struggling to comprehend why they had come to retrieve the fallen soldiers. The detainees were forced to sing the aggressor country’s anthem, kneel, and endure solitary confinement.

After his release, Vasyl was honored with the Memory of the Nation Award by Post Bellum, a Czech nonprofit dedicated to preserving the testimonies of war veterans and political prisoners.

Vasyl Vyrozub is available for interviews in Odesa, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

Background: Fighting for Snake Island began on February 24, 2022, when russian forces seized the territory. Initially, reports stated that all 13 Ukrainian border guards defending the island had been killed. Later, Ukraine’s Border Guard Service indicated that the defenders might have been taken prisoner. On July 4, 2022, Snake Island returned to Ukrainian control.

• casualties
• prisoners
• religion
• russian crimes
• Odesa

On February 23, the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, the ceremony “The Bell of Remembrance and Hope: 11 Years of War” will be held. This event is to remind everyone of Ukrainians who are in captivity, missing or victims of forced deportation.

The ceremony will begin with a liturgy at the Refectory Church, led by Bishop Avraamii, Abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Bell of Remembrance and Hope will strike 11 times, marking 11 years of war in Ukraine. Families of prisoners of war will also take part in the ceremony.

Program of the event:
– Liturgy in the Refectory
– Ceremony “Bell of Remembrance and Hope: 11 Years of War”.

Accreditation is required to attend the event.

The Bell of Remembrance and Hope will ring daily until victory is achieved and all defenders return home. This initiative was launched in December 2023 at the Lavra with the support of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

• culture
• prisoners
• religion
• Kyiv

Olena Lehenchuk, a native of Zhytomyr and mother of four, moved to Spain with her children six years ago. When the full-scale war began, she began volunteering and later became a chaplain (military priest). Now Olena divides her time between Ukraine and Spain, returning to see her children.

Olena serves as a volunteer chaplain. Her duties include providing pastoral care to soldiers, but as she explains, her role has expanded significantly. In addition to spiritual guidance, she provides psychological support.

Chaplain Olena organizes retreats for soldiers and their families, holds weekly meetings for soldiers’ wives, and provides counseling for veterans and those returning from captivity. She also provides general support to the wives of POWs and visits widows.

By prior arrangement, interviews with Olena can be conducted in Kyiv or Poltava, as well as online.

• military
• religion
• women
• Kyiv
• Poltava

During russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church priests Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytskyi continued to serve their parish in occupied Berdiansk, located in the Zaporizhia region. On November 16, 2022, russian forces abducted them. The soldiers reportedly came directly to the church, offering Father Bohdan a chance to cooperate—an offer both priests declined. Soon after, the russians claimed they had allegedly discovered weapons inside the church.

Father Bohdan spent nine months imprisoned in Berdiansk before being transferred to a penal colony in Horlivka, within the occupied Donetsk region, where he endured another ten months. In total, he spent a grueling year and a half in captivity. Throughout his imprisonment, Father Bohdan endured harsh conditions, often sleeping on the floor and being subjected to the constant sounds of others being tortured by the russians. While in solitary confinement in Berdiansk, he was forced to listen to Soviet-era music playing through a speaker for hours on end, an experience that pushed him to the edge of sanity. The abuse only worsened in Horlivka.

On June 28, 2024, both Father Bohdan and Father Ivan were finally freed during a prisoner exchange.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Father Bohdan, either in person in Lviv or virtually, by prior agreement.

• occupation
• prisoners
• religion
• russian crimes
• Lviv

Launched in the summer of 2023, the spiritual recovery program at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, known in English as the Monastery of the Caves has seen participation from 700 soldiers and 20 chaplains. Set within the historic confines of the reserve, the initiative aims to rejuvenate soldiers by immersing them in Ukraine’s rich cultural, historical, and spiritual heritage.

The program unfolds in two stages. The first stage is a 10-day program where military personnel engage in activities such as archaeological excavations of ancient walls and a glassmaking workshop dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. They also visit exhibitions at the Treasury of the National Museum of History and the Museum of Books and Printing, participate in an icon painting master class, explore the Upper and Lower Lavra, and join in worship services. The second stage, titled “Day at the Lavra for Military,” involves groups of veterans spending a day at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra with a lecturer-guide. They explore the grounds, take guided tours, participate in reserve activities, and visit local shrines. Additionally, the program offers support for the families of active duty servicemen and prisoners of war.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• religion
• Kyiv

64-year-old pastor Anatolii Voloshyn joined the Mariupol Territorial Defense Forces on February 25, 2022. Anatolii became the commander of the counter-subversive unit. On March 14, 2022, he received a shrapnel wound in a mine blast – a fragment damaged his arm, hit his ribs and broke his bones. The pastor was first taken to a local hospital for a surgery, and later – to Azovstal Steelworks.

In May 2022, following the order of the top military leadership Anatolii and his comrades left Azovstal and surrendered. At that time, the man was emaciated (he had lost 22 kilograms), one of his arms did not function, and his ribs were broken. The occupiers brought the pastor together with the rest of the military to the camp in Olenivka, and later took him to Luhansk region. The pastor spent 295 days in russian captivity. On March 6, 2023, Anatolii Voloshyn returned home in a prisoner exchange.

After rehabilitation, the pastor moved to the capital with his family, learned to roller skate, something he had dreamed of for over 20 years, and now he plans to see the ocean.

• casualties
• prisoners
• religion