The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine spoke about the “first Kyiv-based Kremlin” and the historical roots that Russia is losing. He has noted that Russia is definitely not a “mother” or even a “stepmother” in relation to Ukraine. On the contrary, for Russia, Ukraine is seen as “mother.”
“As is known, the distance between the bell tower of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral and St. Sophia of Kyiv is called the spiritual axis of the Ukrainian nation. This spiritual center is also called the “first Kyiv-based Kremlin,” which Moscow also seized from our country. But all that stems from here, the roots are here. And why are they so mad now? That’s because they are losing those roots. Because it was here, on the Kyiv hills, that the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called preached, it was here in Kyiv that the baptism of Rus-Ukraine took place… Now they call it a “single cradle”, but their history came from here – from Kyiv,” Metropolitan Epifaniy said in an interview with Detector.ua.
“We want to be independent, to be owners of our own home. We do not want the so-called ‘elder brother’ to strangle us in his ‘loving arms.’ Let’s coexist, but on equal terms: no ‘elder’ or ‘younger’ brothers… On the contrary, there is a ‘mother,’ and she’s here! And you are a ‘daughter,’ you are definitely no ‘mother,’ you aren’t even a ‘stepmother,’” said Metropolitan Epifaniy.
He noted that the Russians took over everything, took it away, and rewrote it, reworking it in their own way. And now, when the Ukrainians are restoring objective history, the Russians are opposing these efforts, trying to destroy us as the Ukrainian nation.
“You had been destroying us over the last century, you failed to destroy us through the Holodomor, you have done everything to erase our national identity, but you haven’t succeeded. And the Church is now one of the driving forces behind the restoration of our identity. Because without spirituality we will not preserve what we possessed, and we will not be able to build the Ukraine that we dream of and that previous generations dreamed of,” the metropolitan concluded.
