Religious events, church life and spirituality in Kyiv region
The first Assumption of Mary this year will once again divide Ukrainian believers into two days — August 15 and 28 — and this is not merely about dates, but about how religious identity continues to reshape itself following 2023.
A memorial plaque was unveiled at the Holy Yur Ensemble on the wall of the Metropolitan Palace, where the pontiff lived in June 2001. That visit was not only spiritual—in Lviv, John Paul II declared 27 martyrs of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church blessed before an audience of one and a half million people.
This year, the Apostles' Fast lasted only two weeks — significantly less than it did in the past. This was the result of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church switching to the new Julian calendar, which changed not only the dates but also the logic of fasting.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has sent official appeals to international human rights organizations following another Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. According to documented data, since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, 742 religious sites in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged.
In the year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of Francis of Assisi, his remains have been opened for veneration until March 22. The religious event has international resonance — touching on his legacy, his role as an ecological symbol, and the challenges of organizing mass gatherings.
In a letter to 1.4 billion Catholics, the Pope proposed reviving the idea of an Olympic truce and asked for prayers for Ukrainians suffering from attacks on energy infrastructure. Why this message matters not only symbolically — briefly and clearly.
The Ministry of Culture handed over a historic kostel for use for half a century — this is not only a matter of restoration after shelling, but also a guarantee of freedom of religion and the return of cultural heritage to the community.
On January 1, Orthodox Christians honor Saint Basil the Great and the Circumcision of the Lord. We examine why the custom of posivannya — the sowing ritual — is not merely a rite but a symbol of connection to the land, hope for the harvest, and cultural resilience, more important now than ever.