Patriarch Kirill in Kharkiv

More than 15,000 Orthodox believers attended the liturgy conducted by Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church on Freedom Square in Kharkiv in the morning of May 8.

Participating in the liturgy were also Metropolitan Volodymyr, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk, the head of the department for foreign ties of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Nicodemus of Kharkiv and Bohodukhov of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, other Orthodox hierarchs from Ukraine and Russia.

Also attending the liturgy were Vice Prime Minister / Regional Development, Constitution, Housing and Utility Economy Minister Viktor Tykhonov, Kharkiv Mayor Hennadii Kernes, Mykhailo Dobkin, head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Serhii Chernov, head of the Kharkiv regional council, Russia’s Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov.

Patriarch Kirill blessed the audience and urged the community of Kharkiv to secure the unity of the Orthodox church.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow arrived in Ukraine on May 6 to participate in celebrations for the 90th birthday of Metropolitan Nicodemus of Kharkiv and Bohodukhov of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), and the 60th birthday of Metropolitan Ilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol (the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate).