Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew marked the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence on Monday, August 24, 2026, with an address centered on remembrance, solidarity with those suffering from the war, and hope for peace and a future return to Kyiv.
Speaking at the historic Church of Saint Nicholas in Cibali, Istanbul, which serves as the spiritual home of the city’s Ukrainian-speaking Orthodox community, the Ecumenical Patriarch said that Christian remembrance goes beyond recalling historical events and means carrying others “in our hearts” and before God in prayer.
“Today, we do not simply remember thirty-five years. We remember people,” Patriarch Bartholomew said, referring to generations of Ukrainians who preserved their faith and traditions, as well as those killed, displaced or separated from their families by the ongoing war.
“You are not forgotten”
The Ecumenical Patriarch made particular reference to prisoners of war and their families, addressing those enduring the uncertainty of waiting for their loved ones.
“To all of you, We wish to say something very simple: You are not forgotten. And those for whom you wait are not forgotten,” he stressed.
He assured them that the Mother Church of Constantinople remembers them and prays for their protection and eventual reunion with their families.
Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized that Christian solidarity means refusing to allow another person to carry suffering alone. “Here, history becomes prayer. Here, memory becomes love. Here, sorrow is shared. And here, hope is born again,” he said.
Bartholomew hopes to return to Kyiv after the war
The Patriarch also highlighted the personal significance of the anniversary, noting that Ukraine declared independence in 1991, the same year in which he was elected to the Ecumenical Throne.
He recalled his visit to Kyiv in August 2021 for the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, when he concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Epifaniy at the historic Saint Sophia Cathedral and honored Ukraine’s fallen defenders and the victims of the Holodomor.
Marking both his 35 years as Ecumenical Patriarch and Ukraine’s 35 years of independence, Bartholomew expressed his hope of returning to the Ukrainian capital once the war ends.
“Once the guns fall silent and this war which now afflicts your homeland comes to its end,” he said, he hopes that God will grant him the opportunity to travel again to Kyiv and join the Ukrainian faithful in giving thanks “for the peace, the freedom, and the future which He will have granted to Ukraine.”
“The morning will come”
Patriarch Bartholomew stressed that Christian hope does not mean believing that circumstances will automatically improve, but trusting that suffering and death will not have the final word.
“We do not know how long the night will last. But we are sure that, by the grace of God, the morning will come,” he said.
Concluding his address, the Ecumenical Patriarch prayed for those who have lost their lives, the wounded, displaced persons, prisoners and captives, families awaiting their loved ones, and especially the abducted children of Ukraine.
“Today we remember the past with gratitude. We carry the present with love. And we entrust the future to God with hope,” Patriarch Bartholomew concluded, praying for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world.
Photos by Nikos Papachristou
