Society & Culture

Today, Orthodoxy suffers from a lack of theological understanding of modernity, as well as a loss of unity. Viktor Yelensky, head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, said this in an interview with Ukrinform. "Orthodoxy suffers from a lack of theological understanding of modernity, from a lack of responsibility to creation and from the loss of true unity. The Ecumenical Patriarch insists that he has a special mission of service, that he is, in secular terms, a “gathering center.” The Moscow Patriarchate and some other Orthodox churches are undermining this mission and thus…

Someone tried to smuggle firearms and cold steel, gas canisters and ammunition into this year's Book Arsenal festival. According to Ukrinform, the State Protection Department of Ukraine reported this on Facebook and published photos of the seized items. "The larger the event and the more attendees it gathers, the higher the risks for the officials we are tasked with protecting. Add to this the realities of martial law, the number of reconnaissance and sabotage group members detected and apprehended by the Security Service of Ukraine, and the ongoing attempts to carry out terrorist attacks on our soil — and it…

111 residents have already left 11 border villages in Sumy district, where mandatory evacuation was announced today. This was reported on Facebook by the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Oleh Hryhorov, Ukrinform reports. “111 residents have already left 11 border villages of the Sumy district, where the mandatory evacuation began today,” Hryhorov said. He noted that the villages in question are those of the Richkivsk, Bilopilia, Vorozhbianka and Mykolaivsk communities. The head of the RMA said that more than 2,800 people currently live in these settlements, including 367 children. The evacuation teams are visiting households, talking to residents,…

The Diia team took part in the international event Potential Interop 2025 in Vilnius, dedicated to testing the compatibility of digital wallets between the member countries of the consortium. According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation. It is noted that the event brought together more than 100 representatives from 14 countries to test the interaction of promising digital identification services. The purpose of the event is to ensure their effective functioning in an international format and on various technological platforms. In particular, during the testing, participants simulated real-life scenarios for using digital documents: confirming identity…

In a conversation with American podcaster Tucker Carlson, former MP Vadym Novinskyi voiced Russia’s traditional accusations against Ukraine, including regarding the war and the government’s policy in the field of religion. This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelenskyi. “It is difficult to call this an interview. Mr. Carlson simply gave Novinskyi the opportunity to speak up and answer questions that, apparently, he had himself formulated. About a third of the ‘interview’ is devoted to the religious situation of Ukraine – and this…

Pope Leo XIV spent a significant part of his life in Peru, in the part of the planet where the Catholic Church is growing most dynamically, and this was certainly taken into account during the Conclave. This was stated by the head of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelenskyi, who spoke in an interview with Ukrinform. Commenting on the fact that this is the fourth Pope who is not a native of Italy, the official noted: "This indicates that Catholicism is losing its European face, although the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope was a…

The issue of the ecclesiastical structure of churches is not a matter for the state, and the UOC should decide on its own how to build internal and external relations. This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelensky. When asked about the possible further subordination of the UOC if it refuses to break ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, the official replied: "It seems to me that this church will decide for itself with whom it will communicate, with whom it will not,…

A bill has been table in the Canadian Senate to designate September as "Ukrainian Heritage Month". The bill is sponsored by Senator Stan Kutcher, a lawmaker of Ukrainian descent. “Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the month of September is to be known as “Ukrainian Heritage Month,’” the bill states. The document states that “the first recorded arrival of Ukrainians to Canada took place in the month of September over 125 years ago”, and “by designating the month of September as Ukrainian Heritage Month, Parliament would provide an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the impactful…

The vast majority of Ukrainians (65%) remain willing to endure hardships for the sake of victory. These are the findings of a sociological survey conducted by the research company InfoSapiens, presented during a press conference at Ukrinform. "We're seeing nearly the same figures as before, but there's a noticeable drop of four percentage points among those who are willing to endure for as long as it takes: from 69% last year to 65% this year. Still, it's a clear majority," said Inna Volosevych, head of InfoSapiens' socio-political research department. Read also: Over 60% of Americans believe supporting Ukraine in line…

Polish President Andrzej Duda awarded Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), one of the highest Polish state honors for foreign citizens – the Gold Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. According to Ukrinform, this was reported on Facebook by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. “For his outstanding contribution to the development of international cooperation and relations that connect the Republic of Poland with other states and nations, President Andrzej Duda has awarded Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the…