January 10, 2023

It's My Church Now


It's My Church Now
Epiphanius I (center left) at Christmas Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral, January 7, 2023. NV, Youtube

On January 7, Epiphanius I, the Primate of Kyiv and All of Ukraine, conducted Christmas Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral in Kyiv, traditionally used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).

The Assumption Cathedral was destroyed by the Soviets during World War II and rebuilt in the late nineties. After being consecrated again in 2000, the building was leased by the UOC-MP from its owner, the Ukrainian state. Even after breaking away from the Moscow Patriarchate in 2019, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) didn't have access to the building until recently, after tensions with Moscow reached a head.

At the end of 2022, the UOC-MP's lease expired for the two largest churches in Ukraine's spiritual hub, Assumption Cathedral and the Refectory Church in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Ukrainian State refused to renew the contract. The UOC-MP vicar of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra wrote a letter to President Volodymyr Zelensky, asking him to reconsider the decision, but the request was refused.

Ukrainian authorities have been investigating the ties between the UOC-MP and Moscow after finding pro-Russian government literature and symbols in many churches and monasteries. The future of the UOC-MP in Ukraine remains uncertain, as government officials claim that religious organizations affiliated with Russia should not operate in the country.

 

 

You Might Also Like

War or Celebration?
  • January 02, 2023

War or Celebration?

Ukraine, parts of Russia, and cities in Latvia banned fireworks for New Year's celebrations over concerns about the war.
A Year of Decline
  • December 31, 2022

A Year of Decline

Russia’s War on Ukraine is exacting deep and enduring economic and social costs on the country.
Russian Orthodox Christmas
  • December 13, 2007

Russian Orthodox Christmas

The Church's celebration of the Nativity is on January 7th; information about the Feasts of Christ's coming into the world and Scripture readings for the services and Liturgies.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955