All Christians celebrated Easter on April 4, a rare event, since the date usually varies among religions using different calendars. In the Orthodox tradition, Easter is the biggest holiday of the year, and is therefore celebrated colorfully and en masse.
One of the Orthodox Easter rituals dates back to the 12th century. It involves lighting candles with fire brought from Jerusalem.
The Holy Fire was also taken by a religious procession with the Virgin Mary of Bethlehem icon from the Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra to the site of construction of the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Kyiv.
People flocked to churches to have their traditional Eastern cakes and painted eggs blessed on the night of April 3, and most of Easter Day.
A sculpture made out of 3,000 wooden painted Easter eggs was erected in front of the Pechersk Lavra.
Politicians used Easter as a photo opportunity.The country’s top ruling trio of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, President Viktor Yanukovych and Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn came to a service in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra on Easter Sunday.
While opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko visited several churches in one night.
