Hamuda Hamuda Hassan, Parniyan Zmaryalai

KYIV/KRAMATORSK – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared on Sunday that light will triumph over darkness, and Kyiv would win over Russia. The Ukrainian Orthodox Easter was marked by a deeply emotional Orthodox Easter which was overshadowed in two months of war.

Ukrainians packed churches Sunday morning in celebration of what they called the Great Day. This was after the centuries-old Ukrainian tradition of offering midnight services on Easter night had to be abandoned due to Russian bombardment and an enforced curfew.

Zelenskiy addressed Ukrainians via video from Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, a 1,000-year-old cathedral. This was exactly two months after the Kremlin invaded Ukraine. It calls it a “special military operations”.

Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine will win because of this great holiday. “This is a time when we have hope, and an unbearable belief that darkness will be defeated, evil will be defeated, and life will triumph over death.

A few kilometers from the fighting front, shelling could be heard in Kramatorsk as a priest lead a worship service for three members of a church.

Many hundreds of people gathered at Volodymyr Cathedral, below Kyiv’s golden onion domes-covered skyline. Many prayed and shed tears for an end of the war. The national hardship had given the holiday an emotional meaning that was greater.

Darya Barabash (30), who was pregnant with a girl, said, “We have started to value all things a bit differently. You value each day differently because it is possible for you to lose this.”

As worshippers waited for blessings, long lines formed outside of the cathedral, carrying baskets filled with traditional Ukrainian Easter bread and eggs, paska.

An army chaplain held a confessional service in northeast Kharkiv where shelling is at its worst. He sprayed soldiers with holy water and asked them to confess.

Ukrainian TV took a short break from its war coverage, showing scenes of mourning, clergy inning, and people praying.

Mid-morning, the Governor of eastern Donetsk said that 2 children, aged 5 and 14, had died in the shelling that took place on Sunday. Russia denies targeting civilians.

Serhiy Gaidai (governor of the eastern Luhansk) stated that seven churches had been damaged during the conflict.

Although churches once crowded the streets for both morning and overnight Easter services, they have since been requested not to host many people this year due to fears that missiles could strike.

“Our nation was always united. Mikhail, an army uniformed worshipper, said: “Today we are showing it is impossible for us to be scared.” Even though some were warning of provocations at churches and other religious gatherings, God provides protection, faith supports us, Christ has been raised, truly, he is.