Photo via risu.org.ua

A memorial in honor of repressed Christians opened in Ukraine

The memorial to “Heroes of the Faith,” dedicated to the Christians who died for their beliefs in 20th century, opened in the city of Odessa in Southern Ukraine, on September, 11, reports The Christian Telegraph in reference to RISU. The unveiling of the memorial was timed to the 90th anniversary of the Pentecostal awakening in former USSR countries and for the 20th anniversary of the Ukrainian independence.

The Odessa United Church of Evangelical Christians took the lead in the memorial erection. The monument is shaped like a rock, 2,5 meters high, with the bust of Ivan Voronaev, founder of the Pentecostal movement in the former USSR, sculptured in the middle. Voronaev is holding the Bible in his hands. The Bible words carved in the front of the memorial are “Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are dug.”

Bishop Petr Serdichenko, chairman of the Awakening spiritual center of the United Church of Evangelical Christians, underlines that the main task for the memorial is to remind today’s generation about the price paid by our fathers who were persecuted for their faith.

“It is symbolic that we can celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Ukrainian independence by unveiling of the memorial to the Christian victims of political repression,” notes Serdichenko, “Only people who have lived in USSR can fully feel the advantages of our independence. It would have been impossible to erect such monument in Soviet Union.”

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TAGS: Odessa Ukraine “Heroes of the Faith” memorial Ivan Voronaev USSR United Church of Evangelical Christians

[09/15/2011]

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