A book about the first year of the war by the head of the UGCC was printed in Kharkiv amidst the explosions of Russian missiles
The book was sponsored by the parish of St Volodymyr and St Olha in Chicago (USA). This was reported by the Information Department of the UGCC.
The book was presented by His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Oksana Zabuzhko, the author of the foreword. The afterword was written by American historian Timothy Snyder. The event was moderated by Yuriy Mushka, a Ukrainian diplomat.
Oksana Zabuzhko emphasised the importance of the book for Ukrainian intellectuals, calling it "a must-read". She also noted the uniqueness of the format and stressed that the Patriarch's book is one of the most important documents, memorials to war and religious and philosophical thought.
"It is more than a chronicle of the war," said Ms Zabuzhko, "it is a conversation between a priest and God for his people and about his people. It is an open door inviting the reader to find meaning in this war of good and evil."
"Millions of Ukrainians listened to these video messages daily, and it was extremely bolstering to know that the Head of the Church was in Kyiv, that he remained in Ukraine. And despite missiles flying at the church, the Head of the Church prays inside and personally fights this evil," the author of the foreword stressed.
In his speech during the presentation, His Beatitude Sviatoslav spoke about what prompted him to make daily video messages. The Patriarch noted that this book is "a testimony to the spirituality of the Christian people of Ukraine, their experience of the tragedy of the greatest crime against God and against man, which is war."
The head of the UGCC said that in his daily addresses, there are many topics that reveal the doctrine of the Christian Church in all its articulations, responding to the existential challenges of the war the Ukrainian people face.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav's book "Ukraine Stands! Ukraine Fights! Ukraine Prays!" was published by Komora Publishing House in Ukrainian. However, according to His Beatitude, the book will be published in other languages, including Polish, German, Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
The Head of the UGCC expressed his gratitude to all those involved in the publication. In particular, he thanked the Globus printing house in Kharkiv: "The fact that it is printed in Kharkiv and will be distributed throughout the world yet again symbolizes the resilience of our people," said the Primate. "This book is about the first year of the war, printed in Kharkiv under attack of Russian missiles. It is a unique symbol of the invincibility and resilience of the Ukrainian word and the Ukrainian people."
Afterwards, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Oksana Zabuzhko held a question-and-answer session with the guests. Speaking about the importance of the voice of the Church at the global level in the context of the war, the Head of the UGCC noted that video messages on behalf of the Ukrainian people had powerfully countered Moscow's propaganda in various media.
In the end, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, answering one of the questions, addressed the state authorities on the eve of the Global Peace Summit, which is to be held on 15-16 June: "Wars are won through joint effort. Without the people, the government cannot win, while the people need those who will conduct their power in the right direction. Therefore, the partnership between the state and civil society is the key to Ukraine's victory."
