Orthodox Christians across Europe stripped off in blistering cold temperatures to immerse themselves in freezing waters today in a traditional ceremony to mark the Epiphany.
The Fiji TimesChristmas joy and anger for rival Orthodox churches in historic Kyiv monastery fijitimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fijitimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tears of joy streamed down worshippers' faces as Ukraine's main church celebrated a "return" to Kyiv's Cathedral of the Assumption on Orthodox Christmas day, shortly after taking control of it from a rival church with alleged ties to Russia. The golden-domed cathedral, of huge cultural and religious significance, sits on a high hill in the centre of Kyiv by the river Dnipro,
Although the OCU soon had more worshippers than the old church, the UOC maintained control of over 12,000 churches, including the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex. Ukraine's government institutions and local press often refer to the UOC as the "Moscow Patriarchate", a label the church rejects.