In his nightly address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reflected on the significance of the date. “Today was Holy Saturday for Eastern Christians. The day between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Russia seems to be stuck on such a day,” he said.
“On the day when death triumphed and God seemed to be gone. But there will be a Resurrection. Life will defeat death. The truth will defeat every lie. And evil will be punished, “Zelenski added.
As fighting escalates south and east, many in Ukraine are relying on their faith in search of comfort, while others choose to return from neighboring Poland to be among their loved ones for Easter memories. “I’ve never been so happy in my life. When I finally saw my husband again, on my first night here, I still felt like it was a dream,” Anna-Maria Nikiforchin, 25, told CNN in Lviv, Western. city largely spared the Russian attack. Pregnant in the ninth month of the war, Nicephorin was one of more than five million who made a difficult call to leave. She returned two days ago with her baby Marharita.
“It was extremely important for me to return home before Easter,” she said, before sharing her joy at the prospect of the couple’s grandparents meeting the new addition to the family. “I really wanted to be together. It’s such a ray of hope that everything will be fine.”
Landing on the couch in her apartment in downtown Lviv, Nikiforchin glances at her 27-year-old husband, Nazar, whose attention is fixed on the little girl dozing on his lap.
“I had a very difficult experience staying in Poland, both physically, because of the baby, and mentally. It was more than difficult, unbearable,” she said.
“I moved into insecurity: with strangers, into a house of strangers, into a city I’ve never been to before, to a country with a language I don’t speak fluently. I realized that I would have to give birth in a clinic where no one knew me and where I had not made any agreements. I didn’t know what it would be like. But the main thought that kept me afloat was that my child should be born in a safe environment, “said Nikiforchin.
Aware of the consequences for his wife, Nazar joins in: “She’s not just a woman, she’s a hero … if I were her, I wouldn’t be able to … I would break. And it didn’t break. “
While the proud father is obviously happy to be reunited with his wife and daughter, this young family is one of the happiest. Not everyone will get the same chance to reunite with loved ones.
The Ukrainian government has announced a new curfew for Easter weekend, amid warnings from authorities about the potential for increased Russian military activity during the festivities. Earlier this week, authorities in the Luhansk and Sumy regions urged residents to attend virtual services, citing possible Russian “provocations”, while noting that many churches were destroyed in the invasion.
Despite the fears, Lviv residents went down to churches in the city for a blessing of protection and prayer on Saturday. At the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin, believers ignored calls to stay at home and instead lined up with decorated baskets of food ready to be blessed with holy water by parish priests.
Vladimir, 53, stands patiently with his family as they wait for the priest to make his way along the line.
“People often think that the holidays should be fun, relieving and easy – and when they feel good, they don’t turn to the true faith … Now we’re going through hard times, people are starting to get closer to God, there are more people than before and that’s good for us, “he says, before showing us the homemade Easter cake (traditional Easter bread), sausage, ham and cheese, nestled among candles and decorative eggs in his basket.
“There was an air alarm this morning, but now, thank God, it’s calmer and we could come. This is very important to us. This is the church we visit often,” he added.
Nearby, 35-year-old church volunteer Andriy is diligently loading Easter food collection boxes for Ukrainian troops. “We are trying to keep the festive mood and hope for justice and peace. This Easter holiday gives even more hope. “We must believe in victory, as we believe in Jesus Christ,” he said.
Pointing to the rapidly filling containers, he added: “They will be sent to the military units that are defending our land. Boys should be able to eat some Easter cake and sausage.
A gust of wind catches the beautifully embroidered fabric covering the basket of 35-year-old Mariana. After fixing it in place, she told CNN that her family had heeded warnings to stay home.
“It’s scary and there is anxiety in my soul. There was a rocket attack in Odessa today … But we believe in God and we hope that everything will end in victory,” she said quietly.
When the priest turns the corner, her eyes quickly return to the basket. “We’ve been informed by our city authorities that people need to stay home better, but we can’t,” she said. “How can we not bless the Easter bread?” We missed it during the Covid pandemic – and now people are desperate for the holiday. ”
Nathan Hodge of CNN and Julia Kesaeva of Lviv also contributed to the report.
Add Comment