Many Christians celebrated Easter on April 14-17 this year, and the festival will also be marked by Orthodox Christians a week later. These images capture how Easter was observed in war-torn Ukraine, as well as in neighboring countries which have taken in millions of Ukrainian refugees.
Easter Celebrations In Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, And Romania
- By RFE/RL
1
A Roman Catholic woman kisses a crucifix during the Holy Saturday service at the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on April 16. Ukraine's Catholic worshipers celebrate Easter a week before the country's Orthodox majority.
2
Ukrainians take a selfie at an art installation called A Corridor Of Life, a tribute to Ukrainians killed in the Russian invasion, in Lviv on April 15.
3
Ukrainian servicemen are sprinkled with holy water as they attend the consecration of willow branches on Palm Sunday at a church in Lviv on April 17.
4
People holding willow branches stand next to sand bags as they celebrate Palm Sunday in Ivano-Frankivsk, western Ukraine, on April 17.
5
People attend the consecration of willow branches on Palm Sunday in Lviv on April 17.
6
A somber crowd holds willow branches as they celebrate Palm Sunday amid Russia's invasion, in Ivano-Frankivsk on April 17.
7
A young girl holds willow branches at a Palm Sunday celebration in Ivano-Frankivsk on April 17.
8
People hold Ukrainian flags aloft as they pray during the Way of the Cross procession in the Old Town in the Polish capital, Warsaw, on April 15. Poland has provided refuge to an estimated 2.5 million Ukrainians who have fled their country since the Russian invasion.
9
Worshipers hold a cross during the Way of the Cross procession in Warsaw. The Good Friday procession is a part of celebrations that end with Easter Sunday, the most important holiday for Catholics.
10
Painted Easter eggs and a child's bunny decorate a tree in the Easter Park of Hajduszoboszlo, Hungary, on April 12. The use of painted and decorated Easter eggs was first recorded in the 13th century. The egg is a symbol of the resurrection of Christ.
11
The Nyirseg Dance Ensemble performs a traditional dance on Easter Monday at the Sosto village museum in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, on April 18.
12
Dressed in folk costumes, female members of the Nyirseg Dance Ensemble hold a basket filled with colored eggs in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, on April 18.
13
Woman dressed in folk costumes are doused in water in Nyiregyhaza on April 18. According to an old Central European tradition, on Easter Monday young men pour water on young women, who in exchange present the boys with colored eggs.
14
Painted Easter eggs decorate a tree in the Easter Park of Hajduszoboszlo, Hungary, on April 12. The park was decorated by artists, art school teachers, and students for the upcoming holiday.
15
A woman prays in an aisle during the Maundy Thursday service at the St. Joseph Cathedral in Bucharest, Romania, on April 14.
