June 10, 2023
By tradition, citizens of Ukraine visit cemeteries on the first Sunday after Orthodox Easter, when the week of commemoration of the dead begins. This year, however, the event had an even deeper meaning as families across Ukraine visited the graves of loved ones who have died since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February
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Updated: 17.04.2023 – 11:46 Ukrainians gathered at the iconic St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery on Sunday to celebrate Orthodox Easter. Ukrainians gathered at the iconic St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery on Sunday to celebrate Orthodox Easter. Metropolitan Bogoyavlensky held a traditional Easter service, which coincided with the usual curfew for the city from 12 to 5 in
READ MOREMore than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been released as part of a major Easter swap with Russia, a senior official said Sunday, as Orthodox Ukrainians are celebrating the holiday for the second time since Moscow launched its full-scale war more than a year ago. While the celebrations were suspended due to security threats
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Orthodox Christians gathered in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Saturday to celebrate the ancient rite of the blessed fire. In an annual ceremony, a flame miraculously kindled in the heart of Jesus’ tomb is used to light the candles of zealous believers. Gradually, tiny patches of light appear in the darkened
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Hundreds of Orthodox Christians lined up outside a cathedral in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv after a service on Sunday, waiting for a priest to bless them with splashes of water as part of the Easter tradition. They carried baskets of candles, elaborately painted eggs, an Easter pie, chunks of cured pork fat known as lard,
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The Greek Orthodox Church on Wednesday accused Israeli police of violating the freedom of believers with “hard” limits on the number of pilgrims who can attend the “Holy Fire” ceremony amid growing tensions. Israeli police said the restrictions are necessary to ensure security during Saturday celebrations at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a
READ MOREOn Saturday, a Kiev court ordered a prominent priest to be placed under house arrest after Ukraine’s top security agency said he was suspected of justifying Russian aggression, a criminal offence. It was the latest move in a bitter dispute over the famous Orthodox monastery. Metropolitan Pavel is the rector of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the
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In a heated dispute over a prominent Orthodox monastery, Ukraine’s top security agency notified the leading Orthodox priest there on Saturday that he was suspected of justifying Russian aggression, a criminal offence. Metropolitan Pavel, rector of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the most revered Orthodox shrine in Ukraine, is resisting the authorities’ order to vacate the complex.
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Russian Orthodox leader and staunch Kremlin ally Patriarch Kirill on Thursday denounced the impending expulsion of monks from a monastery in Kyiv over its ties to Russia. Ukraine last week announced it was terminating a lease that allowed the church to occupy part of the 11th-century Pechersky Monastery for free, but the monks said they
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In front-line Konstantinovka, Donetsk region, dozens of believers attended a service dedicated to Orthodox Christmas on Friday. The service was held in the basement of the temple, where the lower temple is located. All windows around the church were protected with sandbags due to its proximity to the front line. The service was held in
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