Zelensky prays in St. Sophia with Mufti, OCU, Catholics, and Protestants

Event in Kyiv’s St. Sophia Cathedral with the Zelensky family. Photo: OCU

On August 24, 2025, Ukraine’s Independence Day, an ecumenical religious event took place in Kyiv’s St. Sophia Cathedral with the participation of President Volodymyr Zelensky and the First Lady. The Presidential Office reported on the event.

Prayers were offered by Sheikh Ahmed Tamim, Supreme Mufti of Ukraine; Epifaniy Dumenko, head of the OCU; Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the UGCC; Vitaliy Kryvytskyi, head of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine; Anatoliy Kozachok, leader of the Evangelical Christian faith in Ukraine; and Anatoliy Raychinets, deputy secretary-general of the Ukrainian Bible Society.

Also present were representatives of Adventists, Evangelical churches, Lutherans, the Armenian Apostolic Church, Muslims, Jewish organizations, and the Reformed Church. A separate prayer was offered with the participants by Viktor Yelensky, head of the SSEPC.

According to the Presidential Office statement, “the holy fathers prayed for peace, freedom, and prosperity of Ukraine.”

Representatives of the UOC were absent from the event.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that UCCRO had called for continued pressure on the UOC.

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