A pilgrimage to Kengir was held in Kazakhstan

Wednesday, 05 June 2013, 11:04

On June 1, 2013, to mark the 59th anniversary of Kengir Uprising, a pilgrimage was held from the Greek-Catholic Church of Saint Illia the Prophet in Satpaiev to the monument of the fraternal graves of the prisoners in Kengir. The monument, sponsored by Ukrainian organizations in USA (Ukrainian Congress Committee, Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine, and Union of Ukrainian Youth) was unveiled in 1999 on the 45th anniversary of the Kengir Uprising .

On June 1, 2013, to mark the 59^th anniversary of Kengir Uprising, a pilgrimage was held from the Greek-Catholic Church of Saint Illia the Prophet in Satpaiev to the monument of the fraternal graves of the prisoners in Kengir. The monument, sponsored by Ukrainian organizations in USA (Ukrainian Congress Committee, Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine, and Union of Ukrainian Youth) was unveiled in 1999 on the 45^th anniversary of the Kengir Uprising .

The pilgrimage was organized by the Dean of the local parish Oleh Halushka with his wife Myroslava. It is noteworthy that the local authorities supported the event and provided police and medical escort. In Satpaiev the pilgrims were greeted by the Vice-Mayor. Given the complicated religious situation in the country, religious symbols and vestments were forbidden. The pilgrimage included Ukrainians, Russians and Kazakhs.

The pilgrimage began at 4:30 AM with Vespers to Jesus Christ in the church in Satpaiev after which the pilgrims started on the route. It took them some ten hours to walk to the monument. The pilgrims were some twenty people of all ages, most of them children and grandchildren of former prisoners in Kengir. Rev. Vasyl Hovera, the Apostolic Delegate for Greek-Catholics in Kazakhstan and Central Asia participated in the pilgrimage.

All the participants visited the remains of the former Kengir Concentration Camp and prayed a Requiem Service by the monument on the fraternal gravesite. Memorial presentations about Kengir were given by Rev. Vasyl Hovera, the representative of the mayor of Satpaiev, who also participated in the walking pilgrimage, Ms. Olha Burda, member of the Satpaiev Ukrainian Association Satpaiev, and Myroslava Halushka. Also Mr. Ivan Zayets, one of the few living survivors of Kengir camp, came to greet those paying respects.

It is noteworthy to mention that in 1954 there were close to 20,000 prisoners in Kengir – some 9,000 were Ukrainian. Imprisoned there were also tens of Greek-Catholic clergy who in 1946 refused converting to Orthodoxy. Among the prisoners was also PavloVasylyk, later a bishop.

UGCC Kazakhstan Press Service