Holiday traditions, social gatherings and even Sunday church are all routines we have just begun to readjust to following the COVID-19 pandemic.
However; one place that has once again had to question the safety of these practices is the country of Ukraine which still remains under Russian occupation. This past weekend was Ukraine’s observation of Easter Sunday and former Emporia State student and Ukraine native Vladislav Remeniak took time that day to update the situation in his country.
Remeniak sat at a table of his newest dwelling in Lviv rather than in church on the holy holiday. He tells KVOE News he chose not to attend church service because of the fear that it would be a prime target for a military strike by Russian forces.
Remeniak says not everyone seems to share this fear.
He says these two camps of thought have led to a sense of division within the country at a time where unity is of the utmost importance. Remeniak also explained that Ukraine’s church only recently separated from the Russian Orthodox Christian Church with which it had been associated for many generations.
Remeniak says many are now having to choose which churches to attend which is only compounding the sense of division in the country. With that in mind, Remeniak issued a call of unity to his fellow Ukrainians saying now is not the time to stand in opposition to one another.
As Remeniak calls for unity amongst his fellow countrymen, the world continues to stand with Ukraine offering assistance of all forms to its residents. A local GoFundMe campaign organized by Emporia resident Jennifer Baldwin continues in that spirit.
The campaign goal is $25,000 with all funds going to help purchase medical and essential supplies. You can find a link to the campaign online at KVOE.com.
Remeniak will be joining KVOE’s Talk of Emporia on Wednesday, May 11.
