St Volodymyr's Statue in London at 25 Years

Peter Pidjarkowskyj Bykar, our secretary-designate, writes:


This year, 2013, marks the twenty fifth anniversary since St. Volodymyr’s statue was erected outside of the Ukrainian Institute in London. This year is also an important year for Ukrainians, their descendants and those interested in Ukraine, as it marks the 1025th anniversary of Christianity being introduced to Ukraine by St. Volodymyr in 988 whose feast day is 15th July.

On Saturday 8th June 2013, at 2.00pm, an ecumenical prayer service called Moleben (молебен) marked these two occasions. The service was celebrated by clergy and its faithful from both Great Britain’s Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Churches; and AUGB’s (Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain) Fedir Kurlak offered some words too.

More than 100 people gathered around St Volodymyr’s statue and many passers-by stopped to see what was happening, listen to the choir, the prayers and the Ukrainian National Anthem – ‘Ukraine has not yet perished’ (Ще не вмерла Українa).


Слава Ісусу Христу! Слава Навіки!




Fr Ireneu Kraiczyi, Fr Josafat Leshchyshyn, Very Revd Bohdan Matvijchuk