At St. Sophia Cathedral, prayers were offered for peace and an end to the war in Ukraine
On August 24, marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, a joint prayer service was held at St. Sophia Cathedral, attended by representatives of various denominations and religious communities. The participants prayed for peace, an end to the war, and the future of Ukraine.
The Zelenskys, along with clergy from various denominations and faiths, joined in the prayer.
Today, a joint prayer was held at St. Sophia Cathedral. People of different denominations and faiths, yet firmly united spiritually. And it is precisely this Ukrainian unity that helps our country fight for its cause every day. Together with representatives of the clergy, we prayed for peace and an end to the war, for Ukraine and our people—for our defenders, for all those waiting to return home, and for blessings upon Ukraine,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The head of state also expressed gratitude to everyone who always remembers Ukrainians in their prayers.
Background: St. Sophia Cathedral, or St. Sophia of Kyiv, is an 11th-century cathedral in Kyiv. Originally built in the Byzantine style, it suffered extensive damage but was restored in the 17th–18th centuries, radically altering its appearance and now serving as a prime example of Ukrainian Baroque. It is one of the few surviving structures from the era of Kievan Rus’. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On December 15, 2018, a unification council was held at St. Sophia Cathedral. On February 3, 2019, the enthronement of His Beatitude Epiphanius as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine took place at the cathedral.
In 2023, for the first time in 400 years, the “Sophia War Carol” was performed; it was composed in the 1630s during the time of Petro Mohyla. It describes the creation of the world, the reconstruction of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, war, and victory through a rain of fire sent from heaven by the Lord.
Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Facebook.
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