For Christians, Easter symbolizes rebirth, a new start. This is a universal theme, and something we all aspire, appreciate and yearn for at one time or another.
For Ukrainians, the inspiration of a new start is especially profound given the ravaging of their country for the past 3 years due to the criminal invasion by Russia.
One of the hallmarks of the Easter celebrations in Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox churches is “sviachenia”, or the blessing of the baskets. Faithful bring baskets to church, filled with bread, eggs, meats and other foodstuffs and a candle. Slowly, one by one, candles are lit and the entire church is filled with a warm glow.
I’ve been photographing this ritual (for my ongoing personal project “Faith and Ritual”) since 2018 and each time I find it visually striking and personally inspiring. This year was no different.
Father Ihor Shved sprinkles holy water and blessings upon baskets of the faithful, in a thin shaft of sunlight at the St. Volodymyr and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral.
A procession makes its way along Stella Avenue in the city’s North End, with the Cathedral as a backdrop, early Sunday morning during Easter.
Father Ihor Shved (left) helps lead parishioners as Bishop Andriy blesses the entrance to the Ukrainian Metropolitan Cathedral of Volodomyr and Olga, on Easter Sunday morning.
A touch of faith
A parishioner has a pensive moment during the ceremony, Saturday afternoon.
Parishioners queue up to pray before the shrine at the altar during Saturday’s blessing of the baskets ceremony.
Acts of prayer, contrition and meditation at the shrine and altar of the cathedral.
One by one, a flame gets passed from one end of the cathedral to the other, during the blessing of the baskets ceremony - a highlight of the Easter season in Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox churches.