KYIV – If Ukrainians worldwide waited over 70 years to regain independence as a nation, a significant portion of its Orthodox Christian congregants had to wait more than three centuries to restore spiritual freedom from the same overlord – Russia. 

It came on January 6 when Christmas Eve is observed in accordance with the Julian calendar. St. George Cathedral in Istanbul, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, was the setting. A Ukrainian delegation consisting of Church hierarchs and politicians came for the historic ceremonies led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.