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Wife of a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest, project manager of the Strilky Village Council, and head of the Strilky Youth Center.
“I am with them! Tell them who I am: I am the Angel of Ukraine!”
(Father Jozef Schreyvers, Univ, 1925)
The Angel of Ukraine is a unique spiritual figure that has stepped beyond the canonical Vertep tradition to become a national symbol of guardianship, faith, and hope. His image is rooted in the mystical visions of Belgian Redemptorist Father Jozef Schreyvers, who between 1914 and 1923, in the Univ Lavra, experienced an encounter with a heavenly messenger.
A figure in a dark mantle appeared to him and said: “I have dwelt in this cell for centuries... I protect Her, for she is my kingdom.” The Angel called the Ukrainian people great, yet wounded, and proclaimed: “The salvation of my people lies in love, harmony, and unity. Endure, beloved Ukraine – you shall be great and free.”
Later, the priest saw a radiant knight on a white horse – in Cossack armor – declaring: “God’s blessing is upon us… Endure, Ukraine!” And then the Angel revealed his name: “I live for my people and with my people... I shall give them strength to endure persecution, suffering, and death. I am with them. I am the Angel of Ukraine.”
This image is not merely a mystical vision, but a spiritual archetype – a guardian of a nation, akin to the biblical guardian angels of peoples. He embodies the battle between good and evil over the soul of the nation, standing watch until “the Cross rises again on Ukrainian soil.”
In contemporary art and Vertep performances, the Angel of Ukraine has become a symbol of a nation under divine protection – an image of faith in resurrection and the inevitable triumph of light.
Colors: blue and yellow vestments and wings – symbols of heaven and earth, freedom and dignity.
Symbols: a golden sheaf – life, bread, and sacrificial land.
Attributes: a lit candle – faith and hope; a sword – readiness to defend good; a wreath of blue and yellow flowers – peace and resurrection.
The Angel of Ukraine is a figure of prayer and hope – a guardian, warrior, and prophet – a sign of the indestructible spiritual strength that leads Ukraine toward just peace.
