Fr. Yevhen Odra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP) in northeastern Ukrainian Chernihiv has begun to study the Belarusian language so he can conduct services for the local Belarusian community in their native tongue. This news was reported on 25 December 2002.
Chernihiv is home to approximately 10 thousand Belarusians, but there is no parish where services are held in Belarusian. Fr. Yevhen, who himself is of Belarusian descent, hopes that soon the authorities will provide the promised building for the Chernihiv UOC-KP community. It is currently occupied by a pottery and carpentry workshop. Fr. Yevhen believes that it is exactly the place where he can conduct services in Belarusian. He has already organized a church choir, which consists mainly of members of the local Belarusian cultural center “Siabry.”