Ukrainian and Russian navy in maritime pilgrimage
Two large vessels from the Ukrainian and Russian naval fleets set sail from the southern Ukrainian port of Sevastopol on Thursday (11 July) as part of a maritime pilgrimage in honour of a deceased admiral who has been declared a saint. The "Konstiantyn Olshanskyi" represents the Ukrainian fleet and the "Yamal" represents Russia's Black Sea fleet. The ships are making their way through ports of the Black Sea that are connected with the life and activities of Admiral Fedor Ushakov, whom the Russian Orthodox Church added to the list of saints at the end of 2001. Ushakov never lost a sea battle, and his life was distinguished by exceptional good works and piety. This maritime religious pilgrimage is being conducted at the initiative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) and with the support of the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. On board the two ships are representatives of the UOC-MP, civilians, and relics of this saint of the military, Fedor Ushakov. The ships will visit the cities of Kherson, Mykolaiv, Ochakov, Odesa, Ostriv Zmiinyi, Novorosiisk and Kerch. source: Religious Information Service of the Ukraine