A man reacts to the icy water during the Orthodox Christian feast of Epiphany on Jan. 19, 2022 in Kyiv's Obolon district. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Dozens of people plunged into the icy waters of the Dnipro River on Jan. 19 in Kyiv's northern district of Obolon to celebrate Epiphany.
A woman reacts after taking a dip in icy water during the Epiphany Day celebrations of Epiphany on Jan. 19, 2022 in Kyiv's Obolon district. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)Priests bless the water in the Dnipro River during the Epiphany Day celebrations at Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
The tradition to bathe in the freezing water of a river or lake comes from a popular belief that on this day, the water brings health or even washes away one's sins.
People walk into the icy waters of the Dnipro River during the Epiphany Day celebrations at Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)People dress after swimming in the cold waters of the Dnipro River during the Epiphany Day celebrations in Kyiv on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Lately, the perception of this ritual in Ukraine has been changing. Some point out that the tradition isn't native to Ukraine, and has been adopted from Russia in the 20th Century. In light of Russia's war against Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2014, the subject becomes sensitive.
A lifeguard looks at man as he dips into the icy waters of the Dnipro River during the Epiphany Day celebrations in Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)A man prays as he dips into the Dnipro River during the Epiphany Day celebrations in Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been vocal in its objections to the bathing tradition. The church was established in 2019 as an independent Ukrainian church, an alternative to the Moscow Patriarchate-governed church which was previously the largest in Ukraine.
A priest sprinkles believers with holy water during the Orthodox Epiphany service at the Dnipro River in Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
While the Orthodox Church of Ukraine opposes the bathing tradition, the Russia-backed church, which still remains popular in Ukraine, actively encourages it. The celebration in Obolon was organized by one of the local churches from the Russia-backed Orthodox church.
A man takes a dip into the Dnipro River during the Epiphany Day celebrations in Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)A man dips into the Dnipro River during the Epiphany Day celebrations at Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
The practice comes with some risk: a 52-year old man was found drowned today after taking an icy dip near the town of Fastiv in Kyiv Oblast, according to a police report.
Priests participate in the Orthodox Epiphany service at the Dnipro River in Kyiv's Obolon district on Jan. 19, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)A man takes a dip in icy water during the Orthodox Christian feast of Epiphany on Jan. 19, 2022 in Kyiv's Obolon district. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
A major oil refinery and natural gas port in Russia's Leningrad Oblast came under fire during an overnight drone attack on March 26, according to Russian officials and social media channels.
"That's why we're going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin's war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on March 25.
The United States is proposing security guarantees to Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv withdrawing its troops from parts of Donbas still under Ukrainian control, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters published on March 25.
The Russian delegation is headed by Vyacheslav Nikonov, deputy chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the grandson of Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov.
The two positions had remained vacant since Jan. 5, when Zelensky dismissed Andrii Tupikov and Oleksandr Dubrovin. The dismissals in January came amid a wider government reshuffle following a major corruption scandal last year.
About 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity has been halted amid Ukrainian drone strikes, pipeline damage, and tanker seizures, Reuters reported on March 25.
Ukraine’s battered energy sector will get help from U.S. companies as Kyiv rapidly prepares for the next heating season, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry announced on March 25 amid a Ukrainian delegation visit to the U.S.
Ukraine and the U.S. have confirmed Ukrainian defense tech startup Sine Engineering as the recipient of the first investment from a joint U.S.-Ukraine reconstruction fund, born out of last year’s famed and contentious minerals deal.
Oleksii Kharchenko, the head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, said Russia is trying to "severely limit" communication between family members separated because of the war.
Mayor Ihor Polishchuk said his resignation was "absolutely not related" to an investigation by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). He declined to elaborate on his reasons for stepping down.
As global attention shifts to the Middle East, Russia’s war against Ukraine hasn’t stopped — and the Kremlin benefits from the world looking elsewhere. Our newsroom reports from Kyiv to help you understand what’s happening and why it matters. Support our work by becoming a member.
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