Tower and Town, November 1992

KIEV - JUNE 1992

On 15 June three young people, Howard Gilbert, Kati Carter and myself, left Marlborough for the Ukraine on a trip led by Father Maxim Nikolski. We were to represent the Marlborough Ecumenical parish on an exchange with Father Anatoli's parish in the City of Kiev. The link had been first established by Father Maxim, whose family live in the area. The idea of our visit was to act as the first part of a future exchange, but also to take clothing and medical supplies to where they were needed in Kiev.

We were almost too successful in our appeal for clothing, in that so much was offered to us that we have had to arrange for the bulk of it to be sent out by container later in the year. However, we finally departed for Moscow on an airplane weighed down by the clothing we had managed to take with us, and our important medical supplies. We had to travel through Russia to get to the Ukraine, since direct flights have only very recently been possible. We stayed in Moscow nearly three days, before travelling by overnight train to Kiev, a journey of over 800 miles. When we arrived at the station we were met by over twenty members of the church, who throughout our ten days in Kiev took it in turns to look after us. Most had taken a week's holiday to be with us, an example of the great generosity and kindness we experienced.

It was only two years ago that Father Anatoli's parish gained control of their church buildings and land. In that time, despite their small number of members (easily under 200 in all) they have restored their Rectory, set up a centre caring for the elderly and destitute and managed to raise the large sum of money needed to gold leaf the church's domes. We were lucky in being able to go to a number of Orthodox services during our visit. One thing which struck me wherever we went, whether in a cathedral or a chapel, was the way in which music in the service could so easily overcome the barriers of language.

I think that the image which will stay with me longest from my time in Kiev, is that of an old lady frantically, rolling up a red carpet behind a priest, as he took part in a cathedral service. Although we were able to tour the city and see the sights, I do not think that was what our trip was really about. Rather, it was about meeting new people and experiencing the day to day life of a different culture, and in that I think we succeeded. It was, for example, in preparing a supper of soup by a river bank, that we were able to join in the life of a Christian community, that could achieve a very great deal more than an individual could. In Kiev we were privileged to see people living their faith day by day.

Justus Hinks