Ukrainians mark Easter in exile, pray for a safe Ukraine

WARSAW, Poland - Easter celebrations for Orthodox Ukrainians, which started on Sunday, last for a week but not all of them have had the opportunity to celebrate with their families this year, due to the ongoing war at home.

A Ukrainian woman, Anastasia, left together with her son and sought shelter in Warsaw, leaving behind her husband and parents, in search of safety.

Joining other Ukrainians, she has come to a church in Warsaw to celebrate Easter, praying for the safety of her family members and country, and for an end to the war.

The main reason that pushed Rostislav to flee to Poland was to seek safety for her son.

“We were hopeful that everything would end soon,” Anastasia told Rudaw’s Dlnia Rahman on Tuesday about the days when the war first broke out. 

“After 40 days of the war, we saw that things have gotten worse and more dangerous and we started to worry more and more every day. Therefore, we decided to leave,” she added. 

Nearly 70 percent of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians. For many of them, this is the first time that they are forced to mark Easter in exile. They all pray for peace and safety in Ukraine.

According to the latest data from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR),  at least 5.3 million Ukrainians have left the country as of April 25.

"We want to go home,” an elderly Ukrainian woman, Liudmyla Volkivska said. 

“What have we done? Have we occupied someone else's territory? What did the children who were killed do? What did we old people do? Old people are killed and have been starved to death without water and food,” she asks, echoing the questions many Ukrainians have. 

Women and children account for 90 percent of those who have left Ukraine, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up and unable to leave.