Update from the Center of the Communities for Krishna Consciousness in Ukraine

In this statement, we will summarize and report on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) activities in Ukraine during the almost one-and-a-half difficult and tragic years of the unexpected war that brought immeasurable suffering to the entire nation.

ISKCON in Ukraine is an ancient monotheistic religious tradition based on the Vedic scriptures and numbering tens of millions of followers in India and around the world. In 1965, the Society’s Founder-Acarya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, transplanted this ancient religious tradition to Western soil. Followers of Krishna Consciousness profess the cultivation of love of God, compassionate treatment of every living being as a child of God, and respect for other religious traditions as different paths to the same God.

During the war, devotees of Krishna in Ukraine made a significant contribution to the welfare and strengthening of the country through the following programs:

FOOD FOR LIFE
Srila Prabhupada wished there would be no hungry people within 10 kilometers of ISKCON temples. As part of the charity program FOOD FOR LIFE, our volunteers have distributed 2,300,000 meals in a year and three months since the beginning of the war. Refugees, temporarily displaced persons, people in the de-occupied regions, and children – all vulnerable – have received food. Our Society has set up more than 100 food distribution points in more than 20 cities in Ukraine. Every day we have distributed and continue to distribute tons of food, up to 13-14 thousand meals. Since our religion professes non-violence and compassion for all living beings (ahimsa), we eat and distribute lacto-vegetarian food.

EVACUATION
During the most intense moments of the war, members of the Society in Ukraine and Europe organized and coordinated the evacuation of thousands of people from dangerous areas where hostilities occurred.

HUMANITARIAN AID
One of the main areas of activity was distributing necessary clothing, power supply systems, basic necessities, and medicines to Ukrainian citizens and medical institutions. Our volunteers have provided humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of citizens, regardless of their religious preferences.

SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE
As a result of the war, millions of Ukrainians have lost their relatives and friends, their homes, have been wounded, and gone through other cruel situations, suffering deep emotional and spiritual traumas. People need a word and knowledge that can revive them and give them hope for the future.

Faith in God has always been and remains a fundamental component of personal identity. In faith and the Sacred Scriptures, a person finds refuge in the most challenging moments of one’s life. A person with unshakable faith cannot be shattered, nor can a community in which such people are the majority. For this reason, the members of ISKCON spread spiritual knowledge and provide emotional and spiritual support and consolation to others.

We believe that the Ukrainian society will overcome all challenges and troubles by working together!

Head of the Center of the Communities for Krishna Consciousness in Ukraine,
Achyuta Priya Dasa