In Kolchyno, UOC priest’s family honored for raising defenders of Ukraine

The family of UOC Archpriest Vasyl Kanchii. Photo: press service of the Mukachevo Eparchy

On February 12, 2026, in the village of Kolchyno in the Mukachevo District, the family of a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church received Certificates of Honor from the Mukachevo City Council for raising defenders of Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the Mukachevo Eparchy.

The award was presented to the family of Archpriest Vasyl Kanchii, rector of the Saints Peter and Paul Church. The city council’s decision noted the family’s contribution to forming a patriotic, spiritually and civically conscious generation.

The spouses raised eight children, most of whom, during the war, took up the defense of the country. Six serve under contract in the National Guard of Ukraine; two hold офицер ranks; three carry out combat missions in the assault brigades “Burev” and “Rubezh”; and four have received the status of combat veterans.

Two sons combine military service with church service: Archimandrite Nektariy and Deacon Vasyl. The family also includes officer-conductors who serve on the cultural and information front. The mother has been awarded the state title “Mother-Heroine,” and the archpriest himself has carried out pastoral ministry for many years, raising his children in the spirit of Christian values and love for Ukraine.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that police helped evacuate icons from a damaged UOC church in frontline Yurkivka.

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