A National Prayer Breakfast endorsed by the President of Ukraine was held in Kyiv. For the occasion, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II prepared an exhibition on Soviet repression against religious communities, with a portion of the artifacts on loan from the Adventist Church Archive-Museum in Ukraine.

The National Prayer Breakfast took place on August 23, the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine. Oleksandr Korniienko, the first vice speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, emphasized that it is defined by two symbols of unity—the blue-and-yellow flag and prayer. According to Korniienko, the event was an opportunity to set aside professional, political, and ideological differences to focus on responsibility for the country, respect for human life, and the desire to preserve Ukraine's independence.

The museum exhibition focused on the themes of dignity and respect for human life, documenting the persecution of believers during the Soviet era and, more recently, in Ukrainian territories currently under Russian military occupation. The exhibition drew considerable interest from attendees and was also visited by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

A number of items in the exhibition came from the Adventist Church Archive-Museum collection. Oleg Arutiunov, the director of the Adventist Church Archive-Museum, explained that the partnership between the two institutions began with a chance encounter after which the National Museum's leadership became interested in the Adventist collection, ultimately leading to its inclusion in the exhibition.

Among the items on display were two suitcases handcrafted by prisoners before their release from Soviet labor camps, made to carry their few remaining personal belongings. According to Arutiunov, these were made by Adventist Church members who had been sentenced during the Stalin era for their religious beliefs.

This marks the third time the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II has participated in the National Prayer Breakfast. For the Archive-Museum of the History of the Adventist Church, it was the first time its own artifacts were presented at a national-scale event. Leadership of both institutions expressed hope for continued collaboration.

The National Prayer Breakfast was attended by representatives of state authorities, religious and charitable organizations, military personnel, chaplains, and families of fallen Ukrainian defenders. The event welcomed more than 400 guests from various countries, including Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, and members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

In 2024, the British Library and the Adventist Church Archive-Museum in Ukraine, with the support of the Security Service of Ukraine State Archive and the participation of University College Cork (Ireland), carried out the project "Archives of Religious Communities in the Context of the War in Ukraine."

The original article was published on the Ukrainian Union Conference Ukrainian news site.