28 July 2025
Dear brothers and sisters!
Happy Day of the Baptism of Rus' — one of the main feasts of our spiritual history — and happy day of the memory of her Baptist, the Holy Equal of the Apostles Prince Vladimir!
It was a life-altering turn — not only for the Church but also for the entire thousand-year-long path walked by our people. Before the Baptism, Rus' was divided: the numerous Eastern Slavic tribes were in enmity, without either a single state or a common vector of development. The Holy Prince Vladimir saw the dead-endness of such a mode of life and made an extremely difficult yet wise choice. He united the people, laid the foundation of a unique civilisation, and showed a path through centuries. He chose Christ — and opened the path to eternity for his people.
Orthodoxy became the salt of our land, its root and ground. It nurtured a most rich culture, fortified morality, united the citizens and descendants of Kievan Rus' forever. As His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy said, 'After their Baptism, our people became great, noble, beautiful. Instead of self-loving, they became God-loving — knowing their Creator, the great God, the Maker of the universe.'
That is why the main strike is aimed today against our faith — the true canonical Orthodoxy. To destroy this root is to tear away the people's soul. To turn them into an obedient, controllable biomass, ready to renounce everything which connects with centuries-old traditions, with conscience, with Christ.
History has already known that. Any time when faith weakened and faded away, turmoils, internal strife, revolutions, wars, disasters began. The people forgot the commandments of the Creator — and lost themselves. Unity in the faith of the fathers, ability for empathy, for kindness, for mutual respect, for compasssion — this is what binds together any society and makes man man and makes a people a people. Without it, only ruins remain, on which others come to live and rule.
Today, we are at a crossroads again. And the question is heard again: whom will we be? People of light — or servants of chaos? Descendants of Saint Vladimir — or adherents of the new Babylon? Will we, like him, be able to submit our will to Christ, reject evil, hatred, and everything which darkens the heart and burns the soul, and choose the path of forgiveness, reconciliation, good, and mercy — the only path leading to life?
The Baptism of Rus' is not just a commemoration of the past. It is an eternal point of reference. It is a challenge to everybody: what do you live for? Whom do you follow and where do you go? What do you breathe for?
Today's turmoils, shambles, persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, attempts to strike her out of the life of the people are not merely a political situation anymore. It is an actual spiritual war. And the victory therein, which the Lord will surely give to His children, starts from each of us — from how we believe, how we live, how we pass the light which is in us to our children.
Faith is not an abstract idea but a living force. To be Orthodox is to keep inner freedom, without becoming a slave of fear, malice, or lies. Not to wait for changes but to start by oneself — from prayer, from a small good work, from words of the truth.
We remember the large-scale Cross Processions on the occasion of the Day of the Baptism of Rus' — a living testimony of the faith and strength of our people. Hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians walked, leaving behind the cosiness and comfort of their homes, overcame swelter and downpours, deprivations and threats — not for a mere demonstration but for good changes, for the triumph of the Truth and the transformation of their native land by the power of the grace of God.
And our task today is not to lose this fire of faith. Not to betray that spiritual height, which both the strength and beauty of our land are in. Not to give in to despair.
Orthodoxy is not just a beautiful and ancient rite but the very breath of life. It is the root feeding the mighty tree of our common destiny. And if the root is alive, then the tree will sustain, endure the storm, and bring abundant fruit.
Let the example of the Holy Prince Vladimir inspire us for our personal transformation, for bravery, for faithfulness to Christ, for unity in the bosom of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Let every one of us become that candle which warms the hearts and drives away darkness. And then no one will be able to quench the light of Christ lit on the banks of the Dnieper more than a thousand years ago.
I wholeheartedly greet all of you on the feast, the Day of the Baptism of Rus'!
Happy day of the memory of the Holy Equal of the Apostles Prince Vladimir!
All related news Happy Day of the Baptism of Rus' — one of the main feasts of our spiritual history — and happy day of the memory of her Baptist, the Holy Equal of the Apostles Prince Vladimir!
It was a life-altering turn — not only for the Church but also for the entire thousand-year-long path walked by our people. Before the Baptism, Rus' was divided: the numerous Eastern Slavic tribes were in enmity, without either a single state or a common vector of development. The Holy Prince Vladimir saw the dead-endness of such a mode of life and made an extremely difficult yet wise choice. He united the people, laid the foundation of a unique civilisation, and showed a path through centuries. He chose Christ — and opened the path to eternity for his people.
Orthodoxy became the salt of our land, its root and ground. It nurtured a most rich culture, fortified morality, united the citizens and descendants of Kievan Rus' forever. As His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy said, 'After their Baptism, our people became great, noble, beautiful. Instead of self-loving, they became God-loving — knowing their Creator, the great God, the Maker of the universe.'
That is why the main strike is aimed today against our faith — the true canonical Orthodoxy. To destroy this root is to tear away the people's soul. To turn them into an obedient, controllable biomass, ready to renounce everything which connects with centuries-old traditions, with conscience, with Christ.
History has already known that. Any time when faith weakened and faded away, turmoils, internal strife, revolutions, wars, disasters began. The people forgot the commandments of the Creator — and lost themselves. Unity in the faith of the fathers, ability for empathy, for kindness, for mutual respect, for compasssion — this is what binds together any society and makes man man and makes a people a people. Without it, only ruins remain, on which others come to live and rule.
Today, we are at a crossroads again. And the question is heard again: whom will we be? People of light — or servants of chaos? Descendants of Saint Vladimir — or adherents of the new Babylon? Will we, like him, be able to submit our will to Christ, reject evil, hatred, and everything which darkens the heart and burns the soul, and choose the path of forgiveness, reconciliation, good, and mercy — the only path leading to life?
The Baptism of Rus' is not just a commemoration of the past. It is an eternal point of reference. It is a challenge to everybody: what do you live for? Whom do you follow and where do you go? What do you breathe for?
Today's turmoils, shambles, persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, attempts to strike her out of the life of the people are not merely a political situation anymore. It is an actual spiritual war. And the victory therein, which the Lord will surely give to His children, starts from each of us — from how we believe, how we live, how we pass the light which is in us to our children.
Faith is not an abstract idea but a living force. To be Orthodox is to keep inner freedom, without becoming a slave of fear, malice, or lies. Not to wait for changes but to start by oneself — from prayer, from a small good work, from words of the truth.
We remember the large-scale Cross Processions on the occasion of the Day of the Baptism of Rus' — a living testimony of the faith and strength of our people. Hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians walked, leaving behind the cosiness and comfort of their homes, overcame swelter and downpours, deprivations and threats — not for a mere demonstration but for good changes, for the triumph of the Truth and the transformation of their native land by the power of the grace of God.
And our task today is not to lose this fire of faith. Not to betray that spiritual height, which both the strength and beauty of our land are in. Not to give in to despair.
Orthodoxy is not just a beautiful and ancient rite but the very breath of life. It is the root feeding the mighty tree of our common destiny. And if the root is alive, then the tree will sustain, endure the storm, and bring abundant fruit.
Let the example of the Holy Prince Vladimir inspire us for our personal transformation, for bravery, for faithfulness to Christ, for unity in the bosom of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Let every one of us become that candle which warms the hearts and drives away darkness. And then no one will be able to quench the light of Christ lit on the banks of the Dnieper more than a thousand years ago.
I wholeheartedly greet all of you on the feast, the Day of the Baptism of Rus'!
Happy day of the memory of the Holy Equal of the Apostles Prince Vladimir!
