Images from Ukraine: Stepping out of the fog of war to see the beauty of faith in ancient places of worship

Reports from Ukraine: This feature is part of an original Milwaukee Independent editorial series that recorded news from cities across Ukraine, including Milwaukee's sister city of Irpin, in May 2022. It was the first and, at that time, only news organization in Wisconsin that traveled to the country since it was invaded. The purpose of this journalism project was to document personal stories and events that detailed or showed the conditions of the war at that time, and their connections to Milwaukee. mkeind.com/reportsfromukraine

“When Constantinople fell to Ottoman invaders in the 15th century, the Orthodox Church in Moscow asserted itself as the heir apparent for the only remaining “true” Christian church in the world, bringing Orthodox parishes in Ukraine under its complete jurisdiction. But in the centuries since, Ukraine has become a battleground for Orthodox power struggles that stem from this original claim of Russian authority. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the declaration of independence in Ukraine, some voices began to advocate for an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church. At the time, those cries went unheard.” – Aidan Houston and Peter Mandaville

Clearly, religion in Ukraine is complicated, perhaps more than in most nations aside from America. The early Christian Church began with factionalism, and the power struggle in Ukraine is only the latest example of a two thousand year tradition.

Churches, or more precisely, religious movements usually do not evolve in isolation. Just as a congregation is a reflection of its community, so are denominations influenced by political and military rivalries.

While Eastern Ukraine is brutalized by Russia’s effort to annex large portions of the independent nation, Ukraine itself is the site of a less visible religious battleground. All forms of faiths in Ukraine are trying to contain the corrosive influence, and in some cases dominance, of Russian controlled religions.

This feature is not an attempt to explain the history, or detail the tensions at work between various churches and their political benefactors. This collection of images simply presents a handful of historic buildings of worship located in Kyiv and Lviv, and share their architectural beauty and religious iconography.

The photos were taken as a distraction from the horrible conditions of war inflicted on Ukrainian civilians, and as a way to search for some light of redemption in a world engulfed in utter darkness.

© PHOTO NOTE: All the original editorial images published here have been posted to the Facebook page of Milwaukee Independent. That collection of photos contains the MI copyright and watermark for attribution, and may be used for private social media sharing. Do not download and share images directly from this page. mkeind.com/facebook