Shevchuk boasts of Kyiv residents who, without heat, dance in the streets
The head of the UGCC told people in Rome about the “joy of a nation” that calmly endures life without heating and electricity.
On February 8, 2026, UGCC head Sviatoslav Shevchuk served the Liturgy at the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Rome and told Europeans that Kyiv residents, left without heat and light in a freezing city, are holding street discos. This was reported by the UGCC press service.
According to the UGCC, when Shevchuk asked a five-year-old girl whether it was cold in her home, she answered that when she defeats the cold, Ukraine will defeat it as well. Shevchuk said that Kyiv residents, “while staying at warming centers, did not weep in despair, but sang and danced.” “This image of people who are freezing, yet singing and dancing to music, has already become historic and has astonished the whole world,” Shevchuk said.
He pointed to the spiritual endurance of residents who, “even in the cold, sing and rejoice in life.” Shevchuk called such inner courage “a gift of the Holy Spirit,” which strengthens people in the midst of trials.
As the UOJ previously reported, Shevchuk stressed that the Pope understands Ukraine’s significance for Europe. At that time, the UGCC head spoke of his Church’s mission as a spiritual mediator between East and West.
