OCU holds evening of wedding rituals at seized Cherkasy cathedral
An event featuring participants dressing in traditional wedding attire and reenacting folk rituals to bandura accompaniment was held at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy.
In St. Michael's Cathedral in Cherkasy, which was taken away from believers of the UOC, representatives of the OCU held an ethnographic event featuring bandura-accompanied songs and displays of traditional wedding attire and customs.
The secular event, titled “Ukrainian Wedding Traditions,” was held inside the cathedral, which OCU supporters have designated a “garrison church.”
The program included a presentation by ethnographer Oksana Kulyk on traditional wedding customs. Accompanied by bandura music and songs, participants changed into traditional Ukrainian attire and reenacted folk wedding rituals inside the church.
The OCU said that holding such gatherings provides “an opportunity to be together, learn about our own traditions, and pass on a love of Ukrainian culture to our children.”
Since the cathedral was forcibly seized on October 17, 2024, OCU supporters have repeatedly used it for secular performances. Recall that the cathedral houses the relics of the Holy Venerable Martyr Macarius of Kaniv.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that a Baroque music concert was held in the cathedral of Cherkasy.
