Dumenko: Icons of the Mother of God Should Tell the World About Ukraine's Struggle for Freedom
According to Dumenko, icons of the Mother of God are meant to present Ukrainian sacred art to the world.
The head of the OCU Epifaniy Dumenko consecrated twelve icons of the Mother of God at St. Sophia of Kyiv for use abroad and called on believers to affirm the "Ukrainian world" in place of the "Russian world." This was reported by the OCU press service.
On August 11, 2026, at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the head of the OCU consecrated 12 icons of the Mother of God for the project "12 Spiritual Shrines of Ukraine." The project organizers plan to transfer these icons to foreign churches, spiritual centers, and monasteries in order to draw international public attention to events in the country.
State officials and representatives of the authorities also took part in the presentation, including First Deputy Minister of Culture Ivan Verbytskyi and the head of the SSetnsc Viktor Yelensky. The project by artist Volodymyr Kuziuk aims to elevate prayer for a just peace and draw attention to the war.
During the ceremony, Dumenko stated that these icons should tell foreigners about the geopolitical confrontation: "These icons of the Most Holy Mother of God are meant to present Ukrainian sacred art to the world. They will bear witness to the international community about events in Ukraine and its struggle for its freedom."
The head of the OCU also called on his flock to express love for their homeland through active labor in their communities. He urged every Ukrainian to work diligently toward building a "Ukrainian world" in place of the ideology of the "Russian world." At the same time, Dumenko expressed confidence that in the historical confrontation between good and evil, truth will inevitably prevail.
As the UOJ reported, Dumenko told the British about the price of Ukraine's "European choice".
