It so beautiful in Ukraine on Easter! Stars are still in the sky when the lights of Easter candles begin to the blink everywhere timidly. Endless human streams will move along the road from the temple to the temple and the good news will be heard, and everyone will take home sanctified sweet-scented Easter cake and brightly smiling Easter eggs in a smart basket.

St. Nicholas the WonderworkerSaint Nicholas is the most revered saint in the Rus'-Ukraine since ancient times - he was born in Asia Minor in the second half of the III century (in about 270) in the Greek colony of Patara in Lycia in the Roman province in a family of wealthy Christian parents, in his youth he was given to the service of God under the guidance of his uncle, the bishop of Patara. His uncle brought him to the priesthood. The whole life of the saint really was a model of Christian service to God and others. When his parents died, St. Nicholas inherited their fortune, which he gave to charity. Saint Nicholas was a bishop of Myra, a city of Lycia, in Asia Minor (modern Demre), his ascetic life and miracles won fame during his lifetime.

Apostles – the disciples of Christ, who followed Him during His earth serving and later went separate countries with sermons about Christian faith. Saints are traditionally pictured with books or scrolls and circular nimbus. Peter and Paul worked on quick and wide dissemination of Christianity outside of Israelite. They both became famous due to their serving for the sake of different Christian communities in all corners of huge Roman Empire.

According to legend, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was written by holy apostle and evangelist Luke during the life of the Virgin on the board of the table at which Christ, Mary and Joseph had refected. The icon remained in the Jerusalem until 450. When Theodosius the Younger ruled, the icon was moved to Constantinople. At the beginning of the XII century the Patriarch Luke Hrisoverg sent a special copy of it as a gift to the Grand Duke of Kiev Yuriy Dolgorukiy...

Annually on the first Sunday after the Easter in all the orthodox churches is read the Gospel of John, in which we see how the resurrected Christ appeared to his disciples. Apostle Thomas was absent at that time, that is why he did not believe in the resurrection of Christ: "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe!" He disbelieved, although he saw many wonders in the time of Jesus' life: how Jesus turned water into wine, fed the 5 thousand people, walked on water, numerous healings of people according to their faith.