Leipzig for Ukraine

I'll start with a simple question "Why is the Church?" I ask this question to myself, and I will explain the answer to you. I am thinking about the interaction of society and the church, and I do not engage in comparing religions. How is the church ready to change the priorities of their activities, involving people in new relevant processes of their life structure? Perhaps this is exactly what I am interested in.

For Russia, this is quite relevant: after all, the desire for its own capitalization, behind the enthusiasm for the rituality of the Russian Orthodox Church are such processes incomprehensible to it as the act of girls from Pussy Riot, the wide protest movement of society, strangled by power and ended with cruel punishments in the "swamp business".

And here, in Leipzig, in the year of events in Ukraine a quarter -century anniversary of the peaceful revolution was celebrated. It was in Leipzig that the destruction of the Berlin wall was launched: on October 9, 1989, the first was held in the city in the GDR, more than a 70 thousandth demonstration, with the requirements of freedom and democracy. The main slogan was this: "We are the people!" Tens of thousands of people had fear that day, but overpowered it. The state power, which previously brutally suppressed protests, trembled and retreated, dispersing the demonstration and suppression of it did not occur. Other cities of the GDR monitored the events in Leipzig, monitored the development of the process and in Berlin, the protest intensified - and the Berlin wall collapsed exactly a month later. Germany reunited.

And it all began with small protests that passed every Monday, from prayers in the Church of St. Nicholas in Leipzig. This temple covered the protest activists, leaflets and appeals were printed here.

A year ago, after the start of events on the Maidan, the political activity of the emigrants in Leipzig was quite weak. This is an ordinary post -Soviet environment - Ukrainians, Russians, Jews who left their country after the collapse of the USSR. And now - the Maidan in Kyiv, the desire of millions of citizens of Ukraine to deal with corruption in the power, the desire to go in political and economic development with Europe.

The first promotion in support of the Maidan took place in Leipzig-on the Central Square on February 22-with the organizational assistance of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. It was the action of the memory of those who died these days in Ukraine. The emigrant community was divided into two camps-into active people with the position of "against the war", in support of Ukraine in its struggle for freedom of choice, and on the passively pronounced part. The backbone of activists was gradually formed, who, in jointly with Moscow, held the "march of the world" - about 200 people walked along the streets of Leipzig under the general slogan "There was no war in Ukraine" in the pouring rain. Then the day of Ukraine was held in the city, an exhibition of photographs from the Maidan was organized ...

It was the desire of the Church to be along with the people in difficult times that inhale life into a social movement

Gradually, the volunteer movement arose, now it is not only about public support, but also about raising funds for the wounded and injured participants in the events in Ukraine. November 21-again with the help of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church- a charity concert was held in the concert hall of the old exchange to help Ukraine . The collection from the event went to the Foundation "Spiritual Renaissance" to help the victims of the conflict in the east of Ukraine. The rental of the city government of the city government Leipzig took on the rental of the concert hall. Local artists performed, the hall was full, the gathered was thanked by the priest Bogdan Luke.

The formed movement for Ukraine is already working well. The part of the indifferent, which is engaged in volunteering, is always in action. The transfer of the collected things, medicines, gifts and money is continuously. In this work, the search for recipients (and for whom help?) - these are orphanages, hospitals and just injured people, needy people are also important.

The composition of the movement - who came from Ukraine, but there are both Russians and even Germans. There are few Russians, it does not do without the influence of the Russian TV, which they mostly look at. But the most striking effect on public Russian -speaking organizations is directly - through the consulate of the Russian Federation , which works in Leipzig. Many measures they are paid are paid and worked out taking into account the position of the Russian authorities, which, in general, is not strange. The German "left", the Linke party, also form a special attitude towards Ukraine, they also take over emigrants. It was the left that organized a rally on April 23 in support of Russia at the annual meeting of the St. Petersburg Dialogue. The rally came out small, but its main backbone was Russian emigrants.

I think, nevertheless, that the understanding of their people by the Ukrainian church in Leipzig is worthy of respect. It was the desire of the Church to be with the people in difficult times that breathed life into a social movement. The same unity was observed during the Maidan, when the persecuted and the wounded were covered in the churches of Kyiv. The time comes when society and the Church find each other, and the humanistic principles of world order unite not only believers, but also completely secular people. And the slogan "We are the people!" It turns out to be valid.

Tatyana Konysheva-a civil activist, a photographer-documentary, lives in Leipzig