UOC deacon dies in Finland after saving child from drowning
UOC Deacon Vladyslav Volkov. Photo: open sources
On June 21, 2026, a tragedy involving Ukrainian Orthodox Church Deacon Vladyslav Volkov occurred in Finland. UOC priest Sylvester Shevchenko reported this on Facebook.
While resting by the water, the cleric saw a child caught in a whirlpool and beginning to drown. Vladyslav immediately rushed to help, managed to pull the child out of danger, but was unable to make it back to shore himself.
The deceased cleric is survived by two small children, aged three and one, and he was the only son of his parents. Those who knew Vladyslav recall that from childhood he actively participated in church life, served as an altar boy, later graduated from seminary, and was ordained a deacon. His loved ones call his act a manifestation of the very sacrificial love that Christ Himself revealed to humanity.
As the UOJ reported, one of the oldest clergymen of the UOC has reposed in the Lord.
Read also
Serbian Patriarch offers condolences over murder of Sviatohirsk Lavra monk
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church called Sviatohirsk Lavra a refuge for the displaced and urged that the monk’s violent death not be turned into anyone’s weapon.
“Never seen before”: Israel reports record number of Hasidim in Uman
According to an Israeli police representative, 52,000 pilgrims are currently in Uman – 10,000 more than last year. The city itself has a population of about 75,000.
UOC faithful hold prayer vigil outside Lavra for more than 1,000 days
For three and a half years, Orthodox Christians have continued praying for peace and for the preservation of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Zelensky congratulates Jews on Rosh Hashanah
Volodymyr Zelensky wished Jews peace and the triumph of good over evil.
Kyiv Theological Academy publishes book on Orthodoxy in 17th-century Ukraine
With the blessing of the UOC Primate, the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary has published a textbook marking the 430th anniversary of the birth of St. Petro Mohyla.