The website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (MP) posted the Message of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate on the 65^th anniversary of the victory over the Nazis.

Message of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the 65^th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War

"And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever"
(Isaiah 32, 17).

Sixty-five years have passed since our people were victorous in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945.

The victory is a sacred memory of the great and high price that mankind paid for the peace desired.  

The victory is a great holiday after an awful disaster; it is a recollection that disquiets heart with regret, the heart full of sorrow for those who deceased in the war.   

The war brought about deadly harvest – sufferings and death of millions of people, demolition of cities and villages, destruction of records of world culture and history, "the devastation and destruction, famine and sword" (see Isaiah 51, 19).

The struggle with fascism consolidated all the healthy forces of mankind.  Many sacrifices were brought to the altar of victory.  The soldiers of the Soviet Army and the countries of the Anti-Hitler coalition, partisans and members of the underground, population of the occupied lands, workers of the labor front and rear land spared neither their lives nor effort and health  for their purpose – to bring closer "peace and truth"  (Jeremiah  33, 6). In this struggle the best moral qualities of people were manifested:  self-sacrifice, heroism, courage, and above of all, the love of thy neighbor.   

The feat of the heroes who defeated fascism will live on. The world should forever remember the lessons of World War II and do its best to prevent the sprouting of the weeds of aggressiveness, xenophobia, political extremism, and totalitarian rule.

The memory of the bitter lessons of war is also important because the seedlings of faulty ideological trends have not yet been uprooted, and certain kinds of them are distributed all over the world. People still die as a result of terrorist actions.  And today in the relations between countries the standards of international rights are often broken and the force is applied.  There still exist aggressive, authoritarian regimes. 

In the times of the Great Patriotic War Ukraine sustained heavy losses, became the stage of fierce battles. The Ukrainian Golgotha proved to be Babyn Yar in Kyiv, where more than 100 thousand people of different nationalities were shot…

On this day the Holy Church calls to commemorate the heroes and victims of war. They sincerely fulfilled the commandment of Christ: "Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15, 13). They have selflessly given away their lives for peace, they have soaked our land with their blood, showing the greatness of courageous opposition to evil and violence.  Let's raise our prayers for the repose of their souls. May the All-Merciful Christ give them rest in the abodes of the Heavenly Father. 

On the festive days of the 65^th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War special attention should be paid to the veterans. Their courage, patriotism, militaristic and working achievements should be an example for the present and future generations.  May God grant health and long years to the ones who have remained alive on this glorious date.  

We bow low to everyone who takes care of veterans today, who makes their lives brighter and happier.

We celebrate the victory jubilee on the festive paschal days, as in the distant 1945, and therefore our joy attains great sacred sense. With a heart, full of gratitude for "Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord" (1 Timothy 1, 2), we lift to the Lord our prayer for Ukraine and the whole world that is in need of  "righteousness, faith, love and peace" (2 Timothy 2, 22).

Christ is Risen!

Indeed He is Risen!

On behalf of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

+VOLODYMYR
Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine
Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church