“The Tragedy of the Human Spirit Caused by Soviet Ideology”: A Memorial Concert Marking the 40th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Disaster Was Held at the Patriarchal Cathedral
On April 23, the 25th Requiem Concert, “Chernobyl—The Youth Will Remember,” was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Participating in the prayer and cultural event were His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Bishop Yosyf Milan, Protosyncellus of the Kyiv Archeparchy, as well as Ma Shengkun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine.
The concert, now in its tenth year, brought together young artists from the Mykhailo Drahomanov National University of Ukraine and the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, as well as leading artists from Ukraine, Europe, the United States, China, and Japan. The project was implemented with the support of Viktor Andrushchenko, Rector of the Mykhailo Drahomanov National University of Ukraine, and Mykhailo Zgurovsky, Chairman of the Ukrainian Peace Council. The project was conceived by Vasyl Fedoryshyn and Oleksandr Ryabeka.
“Today, standing before God, we wish to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy—an event that has forever gone down in human history as one of the greatest man-made disasters of our time,” said the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, addressing those present.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that the Chernobyl disaster cannot be attributed solely to a technical error: “We must once again tell ourselves that this disaster was not simply a mere human error. It was a tragedy of the human spirit, caused by the spiritual blindness of the Soviet system, which placed ideology above human life.”
The Primate spoke with particular gratitude of the heroes who, at the cost of their own health and lives, halted the nuclear disaster. “We especially honor the dignity of our Ukrainian heroes, who shielded Europe and the world with their own bodies from the Soviet atom—which some sought to call ‘peaceful’,” he added.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the evening in the cathedral was not only an act of remembrance but also an expression of responsibility toward the “common home” in which we live today. Even on this sorrowful anniversary, the Head of the UGCC reminded everyone of the hope offered by the Resurrection: “The Holy God took upon Himself human death, but rose again on the third day. Therefore, we greet one another with words of hope: ‘Christ is risen!’”
Viktor Andrushchenko, Rector of the Mykhailo Drahomanov National University of Ukraine, also addressed the concert participants and guests. He emphasized the importance of spirituality in the education of youth and national identity. “As long as we remember, the liquidators will live on in heaven and among us. As long as young people sing, pray, and study, and we help them—all will be well in our country. We know that we will prevail,” the rector noted.
During the event, awards were presented by the All-Ukrainian public organization “Association ‘Afghans’ of Chernobyl,” by its chairman, Oleksandr Ryabeka. Among others, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, was awarded the Order of “Honor, Respect, Memory.”
The concert’s extensive program featured leading ensembles and soloists, including the “Dumka” vocal ensemble, the “Pavana” and “Dzvin” choirs, symphony and chamber orchestras, as well as People’s Artists of Ukraine Anatoliy Palamarenko, Serhiy Mahera, Tetiana Pyrohova, and others. A special highlight was the screening of a teaser for the documentary film “Ada: Between Chernobyl and War,” which features unique footage of the cleanup operation.
