Senior church leaders have been marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from Russia with prayer and reflection.

The Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, Rt Rev Kenneth Nowakowski, released a statement recalling the positive mood among Ukrainians in 1991, saying: “There was once again a sense of hope that a peaceful and prosperous future was within reach.”

Bishop Kenneth was living in Lviv at the time of independence and described how an attempted coup by Soviet hardliners sought to prevent changes taking place in the Soviet Union and preserve the old system. He said that “Suddenly, the future seemed uncertain once again. Yet what followed was not a return to the past. The failure of the coup became a catalyst for the final collapse of the Soviet Union and gave new urgency to Ukraine’s determination to take responsibility for its own future”.

Five days later on 24 August 1991, Ukraine was declared an independent democratic state.

Bishop Kenneth said while the current ongoing conflict with Russia has presented challenges to this hope, “Christian hope is not the belief that difficulties will simply disappear; it is the trust that evil and injustice will not have the final word.”

He added that while “hope has been tested many times, the resilience of the Ukrainian people has repeatedly shone through, especially among its young people”.

Bishop Kenneth gave thanks for “the extraordinary welcome and support offered by the United Kingdom. The British Government, local authorities, churches and faith groups, charities and countless individual families opened their homes and their hearts to Ukrainians forced to flee their country.

The Church of England has also renewed its commitment to “stand in prayerful solidarity” with Ukraine.  Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, Bishop of Worcester shared a message from the Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally as he joined Ukrainian church leaders and government officials at a national prayer breakfast in Kyiv on Sunday.