Spiritual guardians of our life

The life of the Ukrainian community in Estonia rests on many levers, one of which is filling it with spiritual content.

Many different institutions are called to fulfil this mission: cultural and arts institutions, cultural associations and clubs, but the church still plays the greatest role in a person’s spiritual life. It is here that a person belongs not to themselves but to the Almighty, and here they can boldly and sincerely ask Him for help, protection and support… The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, both in Ukraine and beyond its borders, has recently undergone many changes. These circumstances, however, have not affected believers’ need to turn to the clergy for advice and help… The dramatic events of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine have greatly affected people’s spiritual life.

Over the past six months the Tallinn Ukrainian Orthodox Parish of St George the Great Martyr and Victory-Bearer, at Suur-Kloostri 14, Tallinn, has gained many new believers, a large share of them people forced to flee. Every Sunday and especially on major church feasts, the parish priest Father Ioan celebrates the Liturgy, which brings together dozens and sometimes hundreds of people under the church dome. More and more often little children are baptised in the church…

According to Orthodox tradition, the divine service is accompanied by spiritual chant performed by church singers. They play a great role in how deeply a person who has come to pray and ask the Almighty for help can immerse themselves in the meaning of the prayer and find in their heart the feelings and words of faith and hope they need at that moment.

Recently the church choir of the Tallinn Ukrainian Orthodox Parish has been joined by professionally trained and talented singers for whom church music is part of their spiritual life. The choir, which not long ago received the name “Oranta”, is led by musician and singer Alona Duminika, a graduate of the Odesa Conservatory. The choir sees its mission not only in singing the Liturgy but also in spreading sacred music among people by preparing themed programmes of sacred and patriotic songs on Ukrainian history and traditions – koliadky and shchedrivky – and, above all, on the history of world sacred music, part of which is Ukrainian Orthodox culture.

On 24 August 2022 the choir “Oranta” performed songs dedicated to Ukraine’s Independence Day, and on 16 October 2022 – as part of the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God and the Days of Ukrainian Cossackdom – the choir joined forces with the youth chamber ensemble “Pattern” of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, led by Illia Humeniuk, to perform works by Ukrainian authors centred on the images of the Mother of God and the Defender of the Fatherland.

The faithful who came to church that day sincerely thanked the singers for their skill and truly spiritual art. Special words of gratitude and admiration went to the youth chamber choir, which closed its performance with the Sich Riflemen’s song “Oi u luzi chervona kalyna”, now famous all over the world, in an arrangement for choir by Estonian composer Jonas Tarm.

Ahead lie new hopes and expectations, new and perhaps difficult times, so creative life and the need to fill it spiritually do not diminish and call for our contribution.

The creative people gathered around our society will carry on their mission.

During the Christmas holidays the ensembles will certainly prepare interesting themed programmes and present them in various places, as well as in the church itself.

Liubov Laur.