Half of his congregation in Kharkiv, Ukraine, is fleeing, while the other half seeks refuge in basements. Services can hardly be held. This is what Pavlo Shvarts, pastor of the congregation in the heavily contested city and bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ukraine, shares in an interview with Dariusz Bruncz.
Bishop Shvarts, during our last conversation, you were in Kharkiv. Today, you are in the city of Lutsk in the northwest of Ukraine?
For a short time, I lived near the city of Kharkiv, as it was safer to commute to the city from there. Later, I drove several women from my congregation, including a pregnant woman, to Western Ukraine. We made a stop in Kremenchuk in the southeast. Our local church provides temporary shelter for evacuated refugees from the East. Then, we traveled all day to quickly reach Rivne and Lutsk in the northwest of Ukraine. Buses with humanitarian aid from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Poland arrived there, and after unloading the goods, they took refugees on the way back.
How do you plan to continue after Lutsk?
I am preparing to return to Kharkiv. It is difficult to assess how far I will be able to go. The situation has drastically changed since we left the city. At first, the Russians attacked military targets, but shortly after our departure, they also began shelling civilian infrastructure, residential, and administrative buildings. I receive information from Kharkiv that either fighter jets are flying or artillery fire can be heard. There are still many people trying to flee by car or train. At first, they thought it would be best to wait and see how things develop, but the enemy is attacking more aggressively.
How do you assess the situation in the Evangelical Church congregation in Lutsk?
It is still relatively calm here, just like in Rivne, where two Reformed congregations associated with our church are located. They are helping refugees from Eastern Ukraine. At first, Russian troops shelled the nearby airports, but aside from the air raid alarms, there haven’t been any severe situations in the western part of the country so far. However, there is some tension regarding whether the Belarusians will openly join the Russian war of destruction.
Are there any updates from other church congregations?
The congregations in Poltava and Kremenchuk in the southeast are the closest to Kharkiv. They are providing temporary shelter. The congregation in Shostka (Sumy region) is surrounded by enemy troops. Berdyansk appears to be under Russian occupation. We managed to transfer money to the congregations there so they could secure essential supplies. It was quiet in Zaporizhzhia, but it is said that Russian attacking forces are approaching the city. (Editor’s note: On the night of March 4th, the nuclear power plant there was attacked, causing a fire.) The congregation in Zmievka (Kherson region), located on the Dnipro River, is also in occupied territory. The situation is very tense there, as the areas served by the church have found themselves between the front lines. Some villages have been destroyed. There has been no landing operation in Odessa yet, but two-thirds of our parishioners have already left. In Odessa, we still have two smaller congregations, but most people have stayed at home. Intense fighting is taking place in Kyiv.
Media reports about supply shortages.
In Kyiv, it is difficult to get food, but the situation is not yet dramatic. Not yet.
Has the war changed ecumenical relations?
Our contacts between churches have always been good. The war has not been a turning point. The churches are now focused on diaconal activities. Some focus on helping hospitals and wounded soldiers, others on territorial defense and logistics. In Kharkiv, I work with my colleague, the Baptist pastor. We operate a logistical hub from which we provide humanitarian aid to the people who have stayed in the city.
What is the mood of the fighting Ukrainians? Is there more resignation or readiness to fight?
There is no fatigue among us. Instead, there is determination and resilience. Unfortunately, hatred is also growing, with each attack on the civilian population. Even in the city of Kharkiv, which is only 40 kilometers from the Russian border and has many trade and family ties with Russia, the mood has changed drastically. Many residents of Belgorod on the Russian side have relatives here, and vice versa. The war is causing even people in Kharkiv, who were once friendly toward the Russians, to feel deeply disappointed because their brothers and sisters, family, or fellow believers are showing no real sympathy or mercy. Of course, there are commendable exceptions, but most expressions are devastating.
Can you give an example?
A few days ago, a Russian-speaking pastor, who recently worked with us, claimed on social media that in Ukraine we are waging a “holy war” against fascists and nationalists. They say we are being freed from them. There are also signals from fellow pastors who say that nothing is so clear-cut, and we just need to pray for peace. This is an attempt to push a narrative of shared guilt and the need for repentance, without mentioning who the actual aggressor is. Today, I also received an email wishing that we would not be “led into temptation.” I couldn’t take it anymore and replied that we are not struggling with temptations, but we are worried about human lives and dealing with the fact that half of my congregation fled under the bombing, and the other half is seeking shelter in bunkers.
How does this turning point affect your relationships with other churches within ELKRAS, the Union of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia?
Within ELKRAS, we will face a serious problem in maintaining this community. We are witnessing how propaganda is destroying mutual trust. In a discussion group for clergy, I asked my colleagues if they had even once made the effort to inquire about our situation. We receive a lot of support from the West, but almost nothing from the churches with which we are connected within the church structure. It shouldn’t be that in such a situation, we receive a “spiritual support letter,” which seems more like an insult than a support. I understand that at times they are struggling too, or dealing with state propaganda when they hear from Russian media that Ukrainians are supposedly destroying their own cities. But it wouldn’t hurt to just ask how we are truly doing.
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly revealed how many people are susceptible to conspiracy theories. The war has also revealed our relationships with God and with other people. The time will come when we will have to process all of this. The time for healing will come, but first, this war must end.
Can you still hold services under these conditions?
Where active military operations are not taking place, we hold services. Where churches are used as shelters, we forgo the usual services. In many places, gatherings of people in church buildings are simply dangerous. Some pastors offer online services. Personally, I have not been able to hold services since the war began, as I have been traveling with people. We only arranged a short prayer in Kremenchuk, where we were safe from bombs.
A bus with humanitarian aid from Poland arrived in Ukraine. Both projects were financed by the Gustav-Adolf-Werk and the Martin-Luther-Bund. What else do you need?
We have received help from both individuals and churches. We are particularly grateful for the donated bus, which will be very useful for transporting food and people. It will also allow us to better organize home visits, even in places where people have not been directly affected by the war but are already in very difficult social situations. We are constantly working on expanding our network of volunteers in our congregations. We are doing our best. Thanks to the support of the Lutheran World Federation, we are planning a larger aid project. But right now, we must focus primarily on saving lives.
Current information can be found on the Gustav-Adolf-Werk page https://glauben-verbindet.blogspot.com, especially on Twitter.
If you wish to help with donations:
Donation account:
Gustav-Adolf-Werk EKBO:
IBAN: DE80 5206 0410 0003 9013 60
BIC: GENODEF1EK1, Reference: Emergency Aid Ukraine / Bishop Pavlo Shvarts
or donate online at: www.gustav-adolf-werk.de
Source: www.die-kirche.de | No. 10 | March 13, 2022