This year, Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics in Ukraine celebrate Easter on April 12. Traditionally, on this day, thousands of Kyiv residents head to churches to bless their Easter baskets. It is also common for less church-oriented residents of the capital, in their desire to observe the holiday tradition, to choose which church to go to based on the principle of "whichever is closer" rather than denominational affiliation, even regardless of whether it might be a Russian church. Others, on the contrary, go to the Moscow Patriarchate purposefully, believing in its exclusive canonicity. But while this issue has actually always been important, in recent years it has taken on a particularly fundamental significance.
Read also: Why Ukraine is celebrating Easter on a different day than the West again this year
The Church's Canonical Status and Ties to the RF
After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the RF, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow openly supported the aggression. This forced a portion of the clergy of the UOC (Moscow Patriarchate) to declare their disagreement with the center in Moscow.
In May 2022, at the Council in Feofania, the UOC announced its "independence," declaring a break with the ROC and removing the mention of the Moscow Patriarchate from its name.
Even in May 2025, Metropolitan Onufriy continued to insist: the UOC possesses all the attributes of independence.
But the situation with the UOC remains ambiguous, because the UOC is either non-canonical or is being disingenuous about its break with the ROC.
The UOC did not apply to the Ecumenical Patriarch for a Tomos of Autocephaly. If one is to believe that it truly severed ties with the ROC, this automatically places it outside the global Orthodox community, making it self-styled and non-canonical.
At the same time, the religious studies expert assessment of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Liberty of Conscience (DESS) indicates the opposite: no real break in canonical ties has occurred. Legally and canonically, the UOC remains a structural unit of the Russian Orthodox Church. And given the law passed in August 2024, the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the aggressor state are prohibited in Ukraine.
Moreover, despite loud declarations, in January 2026 during a service in Bancheny, Metropolitan Onufriy continued to commemorate Moscow Patriarch Kirill, while ignoring Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. In UOC services, Church Slavonic in its Russian edition is used, and Ukrainian is absent entirely.
By the way, on how the Russian church network adapts, masks itself, and awaits the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war, read in the article by "Tvoe Misto" with Anatolii Babynskyi, Doctor of Theology, researcher of 20th-century church history, and lecturer at UCU.
Canonical Churches of Ukraine
Unlike the UOC, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) is officially recognized and canonical. On January 6, 2019, it received the Tomos of Autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
In the pursuit of spiritual unity for Ukrainians, the OCU is joined in solidarity by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). It not only supports inter-denominational dialogue but has also synchronized its calendar with the OCU so that Ukrainians can celebrate Easter and other holidays on the same day regardless of denominational affiliation.
So, to help Kyiv residents observe holiday traditions without compromising their beliefs and conscience, "Tvoe Misto" has prepared a list of churches from both denominations by district of the capital.
List of Churches for Blessing Easter Bread
Holosiivskyi District
OCU:
- Church of the Holy Martyrs Borys and Hlib (2a/1 Vasyl Kasiian St.)
- Transfiguration Cathedral (3a Samoilo Kishka St.)
- Church of the Ascension of the Lord (6 Baikova St.)
- Church of St. Michael the Archangel (22 Mykhaila Maksymovycha St)
- Church of St. Michael the Archangel (1 Akademika Tronka St)
- Church of St. Paraskeva Pyatnytsia (1 Akademika Tronka St)
- Church of St. Nicholas of Myra (1 Akademika Tronka St)
- Church of Saint Nicholas (25a Novopyrohivska St)
UGCC:
- Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (82 Malokytayivska St)
- Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in Pyrohіv (1 Akademika Tronka St)
Darnytskyi District
OCU:
- Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (1i Mykoly Bazhana Ave)
- Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (28g Mykoly Hryhorenka Ave)
- Church of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God (30a Boryspilska St)
- Church of Saint Nicholas (39 Yevhena Kharchenka St)
- Chapel of the Baptism of the Lord (1A Zarichna St)
- Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (1A Yelyzavety Chavdar St)
- Church of Saint Catherine (Sanatorna St)
- Church of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women (2 Prazka St)
UGCC:
- Monastery and Parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians (34 Vakulenchuka St)
- Church of Saints Borys and Hlib (22/20 Petra Hryhorenka Ave)
Desnianskyi District
OCU:
- Church of St. John the Baptist (7 Oleksandry Ekster St)
- Church of All Saints (4 Chervonoi Kalyny Ave)
UGCC:
- Church of Michael the Archangel (10 Chervonoi Kalyny Ave)
- Church of Sophia of the Wisdom of God (2 Kubanskoi Ukrainy St)
Dniprovskyi District
OCU:
- Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (26 Chornykh Zaporozhtsiv St)
- Chapel of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God (11a Darnytskyi Blvd)
- Church of the Venerable Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves (11a Darnytskyi Blvd.)
- Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God (15 Tsentralna Sadova St., Rusanivski Sady)
UGCC:
- Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (5 Mykilsko-Slobidska St.)
- Holy Family Church (101 Yevhena Malanyuka St.)
Obolonskyi District
OCU:
- Church of the "Burning Bush" Icon (6a Heroiv Polku "Azov" St.)
- Chapel of the Transfiguration of the Lord (2 Petra Kalnyshevskoho St.)
- Parish of St. Great Martyr Catherine (10 Priorska St.)
- Parish in honor of the Assembly of Kyiv Saints and the Baptism of Kyivan Rus-Ukraine (1 Yordanska St. / 29a Stepana Bandery Ave.)
- Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands (30 Bohatyrska St.)
UGCC:
- Holy Trinity Church (34 Heroiv Dnipra St.)
Pecherskyi District
OCU:
- Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (15 Lavrska St.)
- Holy Theodosius Stauropegic Monastery for Men (14 Lavrska St.)
- St. Michael's Church at the Oleksandrivska Hospital (39/1 Shovkovychna St.)
- St. Michael's Church of the Vydubychi Monastery (41v Vydubytska St.)
- Church of the Prophet Daniel (40 Vydubytska St.)
- Church of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov (25 Lesi Ukrainky Blvd.)
- Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God in the Military Hospital (Laboratornyi Ln.)
- Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (13/2 John McCain St.)
- Church of the Ascension of the Lord (27 Panasa Myrnoho St.)
- Church of the Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God (2/4 Olhynska St.)
UGCC:
- Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker at Askold's Grave (1 Parkova Doroha St.)
- Church of Archangel Michael and the New Martyrs (Heroiv Nebesnoi Sotni St.)
Podilskyi District
OCU:
- Church of St. Nicholas Prytyska (5a Khoryva St.)
- Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul (14 Stetsenko St.)
- Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God (30/20a Svitlytskoho St.)
- Holy Protection Podil Church (7 Pokrovska St.)
- Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Pirogoshcha (1 Kontraktova Square)
- Church of St. Nicholas Naberezhnyi (12/8 Hryhorii Skovoroda St.)
- Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God (2 Poshtova Square)
- Church of the Holy Spirit at NaUKMA (2 Hryhorii Skovoroda St.)
- St. Cyril's Church (12 Olena Teliha St.)
- Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist (1G Novokostiantynivska St.)
UGCC:
- Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (26b Svobody Ave.)
- Church of St. Nicholas Dobryi (6 Pokrovska St.)
Sviatoshynskyi District
OCU:
- Chapel-Church of Saint Nicholas Sviatisha (85 Akademika Vernadskoho Blvd.)
- Parish of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God in the Temple (10a Romena Rollana Blvd.)
- Church of the Holy Trinity (115 Robitnycha St.)
- Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God (25a Yakuba Kolasa St.)
- Church of the Life-Giving Spring (12 Symyrenka St.)
- Church of the Holy Spirit (68 Oleha Mudraka St.)
- Parish of the Great Martyr Saint George the Victorious (15 Mykoly Rudenka Blvd., rm. 356)
- Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky (73B Beresteiskyi Ave.)
- Chapel of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (21 Ivana Kramskoho St.)
- Church of Saint Panteleimon (7 Vasylia Kuchera St.)
- Chapel of Saint Archangel Michael (at the corner of Myru and Mykoly Trublaini streets)
UGCC:
- Church of St. Josaphat (11/1 Aviakonstruktorska St.)
Solomianskyi District
OCU:
- Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God (13-15 Kameniariv St.)
- Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in Solomianka (20/1 Patriarkha Mstyslava Skrypnyka St.)
- Parish of Saint John the Baptist (37 Harmatna St.)
- Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin (Mamayeva Sloboda, 2 Mykoly Dontsia St.)
- Church of St. Alexius the Man of God (6 Dobruzka St.)
- Church of the Icon of the Mother of God (2 Valeriia Lobanovskoho Ave.)
- Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs (10 Sholudenka St.)
- Interdenominational Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (5 Akademika Yanhelia St.)
UGCC:
- Church of St. John Paul II (Interdenominational Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker) (5 Akademika Yanhelia St.)
Shevchenkivskyi District
OCU:
- St. Volodymyr's Cathedral (20 Tarasa Shevchenka Blvd.)
- Church of St. Nicholas on Tatarka (1 Nahirna St.)
- St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery (8 Trokhsviatytelska St.)
- St. Nicholas Chapel (72-74 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho St.)
- Church of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Yaroslav the Wise (24 Volodymyrska St.)
- Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Virgin (1 Zahorivska St.)
UGCC:
- Monastery and Parish of St. Basil the Great (7 Voznesenskyi Descent)
