Twenty-Two Ukrainian Soldiers Embark on a Pilgrimage to Mount Athos Seeking Healing
A group of twenty-two Ukrainian soldiers recently undertook a transformative pilgrimage to Mount Athos, traveling over 1,000 kilometers from the city of Lviv in search of solace and healing, both physical and emotional. The journey, organized as part of a psychological support program by Ukrainian authorities, aimed to help the soldiers cope with lingering memories of the battlefield. During their five-day stay, they visited twelve monasteries on Mount Athos, all of them Greek.
The soldiers, many of whom bear visible scars of war—some with amputated limbs, others with head injuries—found solace in the serene surroundings. Notably, the Russian monastery on Mount Athos, primarily staffed by Ukrainian monks, as well as the Serbian and Bulgarian monasteries, were not part of their itinerary.
“Many of these men are enduring the psychological and physical toll of the past three years,” said Father Mykhailo Pasyrsky, a Ukrainian Orthodox priest who accompanied the group. “They are wounded and in need of rehabilitation.”
Ivan Kovalik, a 22-year-old soldier who lost both legs in frontline combat in September 2023, described the pilgrimage as life-changing. “Visiting Mount Athos helped me immensely. It relieved my stress,” he shared, adding that he hopes to return one day. Another participant, Orest Kavetsky—a member of the Lviv administration involved in organizing the trip—spoke to the profound impact of this spiritual experience. “I felt God’s grace, blessing, and greatness,” he said. Kavetsky also noted that, in terms of psychological benefits, the five days spent on Mount Athos were equivalent to a full year of rehabilitation in medical centers.
The trauma of military conflict, especially the scale and intensity of the war in Ukraine, has left deep psychological wounds on many soldiers, complicating their reintegration into civilian life. The violence and loss they have endured require specialized care to overcome post-war stress. Programs such as the pilgrimage to Mount Athos aim to provide these soldiers with the tools and spiritual guidance to navigate life after the battlefield, even as they adjust to physical disabilities.
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