At least seven Orthodox churches flooded after Kakhovka dam explosion
The explosion of the Kakhovka dam has unforeseen consequences. Towns and villages have been hit by the water. It seems logical that many churches have been flooded as well. Photo AFP
Eastern Europe
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Kyiv reported about seven churches in the Kherson Eparchy that were flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in the Dnipro River.
This was reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
“We are located on an island that is surrounded by water from all sides – now the district is completely flooded with 1.5-2 metres of constantly arriving water”, is to be read on the website of the Orthodox Church of the Kasperovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, located in Kherson district Korabel. “Water is floating inside the church, destroying both the church building and the church utensils, furniture and icons. The church bakery, which used to bake charitable bread and prepare lunches for the flooded residents of Kherson, has also been damaged.”
Humanitarian
The information service from the UOC gives a list of churches that have been hit. The UOC is affiliated to the Moscow Patriarchate (MP).
The other, sometimes competing, Orthodox body in Ukraine is the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), connected to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. This church also gives humanitarian aid but does not report about churches hit by the water, according to the church’s website.
The Baptist community calls for prayer in connection with the situation, but does not report about buildings hit.
Pavlo Smolyakov, the regional presbyter in the Kherson region, said on Facebook that churches were ready to give support.
Evacuation
Also, the Pentecostal churches are actively praying for the situation in the Kherson region, the churches report. Teams have already gone to the place to deliver aid and are ready to evacuate people.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is collecting donations to help residents of the Kherson region affected by the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, the UOC’s website reports.
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