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)
The comments come hours after Russia launched another deadly aerial attack targeting Ukrainian cities and power plants, in what Zelensky called a show of disregard for the Trump-backed truce.
The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Browder about Trump’s deal to allow Russian diesel supplies to the U.S., the implications for Ukraine and Western policy, and whether sanctions can force Russia to negotiate.
Ukrainian defense company Fire Point commented in a social media post on Wednesday morning, saying 'You didn’t think it would stop with just Yandex, did you?'
In September, we gave our travel series a home of its own, launched a new way to reach readers, saw our community's support translate into practical help for journalists on the front line, and met our community at events in Brazil and the Netherlands.
Petro Antyp's polyptych "Cosmogony," a Ukrainian interpretation of the world's origin, spans thousands of square meters. The museum’s founder, Viktor Korsak, described the damage inflicted upon the panel "The Future" as a "symbolic and at the same time terrifying coincidence."
Angelina Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova, and Anna Kalmykova were denied entry as "one or more Schengen area member states consider the athletes a threat to their international relations," the Russian Gymnastics Federation said.
The British government announced an air defense missile package worth 45 million pounds (around $60 million) for Ukraine, as the country faces an intensifying onslaught of Russian missiles and drones.
The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said that an unknown person killed five service members of Ukraine's armed forces in Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 13
Russia launched yet another large-scale ballistic missile attack on Kyiv overnight on Oct. 13-14, wreaking destruction in a residential neighborhood and targeting several energy facilities in Kyiv.
Ukraine liberated the villages of Zelena Dolyna, Lypove, and Kolodiazi, while Russia lost about 3,000 of its soldiers in the fourth stage of the operation, Ukraine's Third Army Corps reported on Telegram.
The funding will go towards drones, air defense systems, missiles, radars, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition, reads a European Commission press statement.
This story exists because readers chose to back it. Behind it is a newsroom that will not look away — and a community of people who make that possible. It's thanks to 35,000 members that our reporting stays free for everyone to read, and we can continue our reporting. Will you be one of them?
on Google
