CCX Ukraine United Students from Kharkiv and L’viv: In Search of God and a Place in Life

During May holidays, students from Kharkiv and L’viv had a wonderful opportunity to take part in the project called “From East to West – Ukraine is Indivisible”. This spring’s project was the 5th one, a small anniversary!

The concept of the project “From East to West – Ukraine is Indivisible” was born right after Maidan (the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine in 2013) when we understood how little Easterners and Westerners know each other, and vice versa, and how many mutual stereotypes and prejudices still exist in our culture. At that moment we realized that we can use socio-cultural and historical context of Ukraine for the outreach purposes! The overall purpose of the project is to break through the socio-cultural stereotypes and build ground for the salvific relationships between Eastern and Western students, redeeming not only their souls, but their cities and country.

This year’s project motto was “Discover culture and history, discover spirituality, discover yourself”. There were around forty participants, including twenty-three students from Kharkiv and nine from L’viv.

The very first day of the project students got acquainted with each other, with L’viv, put a flash mob together downtown near the city hall, and started to break down their stereotypes during some role-play and its subsequent discussion in the evening.

Over five days we had incredible breakfasts called “Discover” which inspired everyone. It was a good time when every participant could reflect on the issue of spirituality. The students remembered a story about the two thieves crucified with Jesus Christ. They reflected on the mark left by the two men in the history of humanity. We continued this topic while visiting Lychakiv Cemetery where, together with our tour guides, we reflected on the mark left by the people buried there. We recalled famous poets, musicians, composers, bishops, public figures, and of course the Heavenly Hundred Heroes (protesters massacred during the Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine in winter 2013-2014). 

On the third day, Sunday, as all respectable Halychany (inhabitants of the Western regions of Ukraine), the participants of the project attended church. In the afternoon we continued our spiritual reflection during an interesting excursion called “The walls of the city speak about God”.

It was so interesting for students to discover L’viv that they did not want to let the tour guide go, and kept on asking questions!

The fourth day of the project was very busy and focused on the central topic: values and their manifestations in our lives. At first during the inspirational breakfast with Mykhailo Melnykov we listened to the disciples’ talk on the road to Emmaus and thought about the way Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples and subsequent changes of their values. We also tried to answer two questions: “What is the basis for our judgments, creed, worldview and values?” and, “What prevents us from believing the Bible and Christianity?” 

That day the participants of the project met with a “Living Library”. Students from Kharkiv and L’viv planted fir trees together in one of the local parks and talked with Ruslan Sahanovskyi, the student mayor of L’viv. The talk with a current student at two faculties and a public activist encouraged our students to be people of influence not indifferent to their universities and cities.

As a follow-up to the reflection on different worldviews and values, the participants of “From East to West” had an excursion to a thoughtful monument. A few days after the beginning of the Soviet-German war, L’viv was occupied by fascist troops, and during the night of 3 to 4 July, 1941, a few dozen students and professors of L’viv universities were arrested and shot. A memorial was built at the place of their execution. It is an arch made of stone and ten pedestals with Roman numbers symbolizing the Ten Commandments. The main element is a stone with number V, i.e. the commandment “You shall not kill!”. One of the students from Kharkiv could not help showing emotion when he saw the monument; the other students stood frozen in silence. 

Next was an excursion to the Ukrainian Catholic University where we pondered the values of this institution as a foundation for educational process, relationships, and even buildings. It was interesting to observe, talk, and listen to students during this excursion. Emotions were mixed and sometimes rapidly shifted from admiration to disbelief that such a good university can be found in Ukraine.

The project changed students from both Kharkiv and L’viv. Some discovered a different culture, others deeply considered their worldview and values which lay the foundation of their lives. Students from L’viv also learned to serve students from Kharkiv. They got quite close over less than a week and already dream about a trip to Kharkiv.

Students’ feedback about the project:

“I was impressed by the number of people who go to churches and cathedrals, and the passive attitude of the community. You’ll never see something like that in my hometown, especially among the youth. It is scary to even go near the church as you will hear a lot of mockery and ridicule from young people in the streets.

I have no choice but to gradually destroy my stereotypes of faith. The atmosphere of old L’viv and this project helped me very much. It seems that I moved a little bit closer to God. “From East to West” gave me strength to cultivate my faith and discover new things. Thank you!”

N., a student from Kharkiv.

“The history and culture of L’viv speak volumes about God and religion. It is very interesting to learn this. I understood that God alone could bring such different people from opposite parts of the country together and make them think about something spiritual.”

D., a student from L’viv.

The project is over. It was full of emotion, serious and profound talks, amusement, meetings with interesting and not indifferent people, and challenges. It also gave us faith and hope that we changed over this period, destroyed some of our stereotypes, and started to cultivate new values. 

This project was a good platform for students to discover various aspects of life; dive into a new culture; consider viewpoints of different people and reveal their own; discover themselves and the Creator of the universe as well as His embodiment in the lives of other people; take on challenges and try to give room to something new in their lives.

Author: Yevgen Kulchytsky, CCX L’viv