Conference in Vynnyky: “The Dimension of Meaning: A Dialogue of Faith, Education and Science”

Aboard the Ark of Spirituality

“So who is God by His very nature? The One who is always there… He created a whole lot of things and, towards the end of the week, a human being. The crown of creation, as the Bible puts it. A ‘parting flourish’, as they say in the army. The second expression sometimes seems particularly apt, because at times it feels as though God created us and then ‘demobilised’, leaving us on our own without training or combat experience. Ultimately, a human being is the best proof of God’s existence, His clearest imprint.”

(Artur Dron, Hemingway Knows Nothing).

Indeed, who is God in the realities of our war, and who are we, Ukrainians? Where should we go, and which path should we take? Today, each of us defends, in our own way, the independence of a country shaped by the legacy of a post-Soviet society. The war has exposed wounds within society while also illuminating meanings in our recent history.

Ukraine is a spiritual country, where spirituality is inseparable from freedom. The qualities of the spirit manifest themselves through freedom, meaning, creative activity, wholeness, love, a sense of one’s own value, and the desire to return to the highest divine world and unite with it.

It is symbolic that the initiatory project Ark Ukraine appeared on the eve of the full-scale invasion. On traditional embroidered wedding towels, Ukrainians often depicted the Tree of Kin, with two birds beside it guarding the Flower of Life.

This was the first experience of bringing together three different, sometimes even opposing, branches—clergy, education and psychology—while also combining two formats, in person and online. We came together for meaning. The idea behind the conference was to unite people in order to help others rediscover lost meanings and realise them.

Panel discussion at the conference. Photograph from the original publication.

The first thematic strand addressed faith as a path back to oneself and to God. A presentation by Logotherapist Oksana Kocherhan from Lviv, “Frankl and Faith”, offered an inspiring guide along this path. The speaker drew on the thoughts of Viktor Frankl and Elisabeth Lukas about a person who has found the way home and is no longer afraid of anything except God.

Logotherapy counsellor Vladyslav Mediakovskyi from Lviv explored the integration of Logotherapy and religion in counselling. Logotherapy and religion can complement and enrich one another, opening up a more holistic, meaningful way of helping people, particularly those who are religious. Such an approach supports the development of a personal relationship with the Creator, the discovery of meanings in the present, and an awareness of responsibility for one’s choices and freedom of will. Religion, in turn, is a spiritual dimension of meaning: it provides moral and spiritual aspects of human life, connects people with the transcendent and helps them experience a connection with the Creator. Bringing religion and Logotherapy together supports people through existential crises by respecting the spiritual dimension of the person. Father Yustyn Boiko, a hieromonk from Lviv, shared his reflections on the need to return to the foundations of anthropology. Possessing reason and will, a human being comes to know the world and the meaning of life through faith. Faith is not subjective: it explains what reason cannot grasp and thus complements it. Reason and faith are like two wings on which the human soul rises towards God.

The second strand of the dialogue was devoted to education and logopedagogy. Vedrana Grgić from Croatia, our guest of honour, spoke about the importance of nurturing a person’s dignity in difficult times as a logotherapeutic contribution to education. It is through the spirit, which calls for unconditional faith, that we begin to see the best in a person. Integrity, responsibility and moral consistency are particularly relevant in the difficult circumstances of today. A school can demonstrate an alternative way of life in which a child can choose patterns of behaviour different from those modelled at home or in society. It is important for teachers to see the best version of each child. Love as a way of knowing makes it possible to highlight a child’s uniqueness and dignity, helping them realise their potential for conscious life choices. This wonderful presentation concluded with a shared prayer for Ukraine.

Logotherapist and Logotherapy trainer Kateryna Haiova from Greece devoted her presentation to the spiritual personhood of the adult as a source of strength for new generations, since the crises we experience can become a catalyst for change. The crisis in education and upbringing in our country runs very deep because it is connected with a crisis of spirituality.

Vedrana Grgic during her presentation. Photograph from the original publication.

Instead of love, control, standards, achievements and performance indicators often take centre stage, obscuring meaning. Such a crisis is a signal to return to Vasyl Sukhomlynskyi’s pedagogy of the heart, to psychology that supports growth in an atmosphere of trust, and to parenting founded on love and respect.

The third strand addressed the practical application of Logotherapy. Lesia Steblo from Khmelnytskyi, a psychologist at the Together with You Psychological Support Centre, spoke about psycho-emotional support for the families of fallen defenders through a logotherapeutic approach.

Logotherapy counsellor Olena Huzman from Kharkiv spoke about applying a logotherapeutic approach in work with adolescents, where relationships between children and parents improve through the reflection of love. In the words of Elisabeth Lukas: “What we send out comes back. It is not what a child has received, but what they give, that determines who they are.” The Logotherapist’s task is to help parents see a child’s potential, capabilities and uniqueness, and to create a space of unconditional acceptance in communication through unconditional love, respect, the capacity for wonder and an orientation towards the future.

In her presentation on group work, psychologist Maiia Chernova focused on support for the wives of fallen service members. A talk by Logotherapist and clinical psychologist Olha Samara revealed not only dreams and aspirations but also limitations and obstacles on the path to becoming a psychotherapist. The more deeply therapists work with their clients’ pain, the harder it can be to recognise their own. This is why supervision and intervision are so important for professionals who, as people themselves, are also learning to be who they are. The importance of the therapist’s self-understanding was emphasised: their personality, values, personal qualities and stance towards life directly affect the client.

Father Rostyslav Pendiuk, Head of the Patriarchal Commission for Youth Affairs of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, addressed the search for meaning in the realisation of dreams and visions: “To live a worthy life, we need to ask ourselves difficult questions and not be afraid of difficult answers. We should learn to work with meanings—not only with form but also with substance. The future is not something to find out from experts or tarot readers. It has to be created. It will become what it is to the extent that we take responsibility for it ourselves.”

The NGO DO VIRY and the Drevo Psychological Studio initiated the creation of the Logos Logotherapy space in Vynnyky, based at the Berezil Resource Centre for veterans and their families. The Centre offers logotherapeutic help and support, as well as opportunities to study and develop the Ukrainian school of Logotherapy. The initiator and organiser of this space is psychologist and Logotherapy counsellor Halyna Tsizh.

Father Rostyslav Pendiuk during his presentation. Photograph from the original publication.

The gathering ended with particular warmth. Despite the distance, the online participants were reluctant to say goodbye to the atmosphere of Sofiivskyi Skhyl. Those who stayed in the hall until the end gathered around the generous table of one of the co-organisers. Halyna welcomed guests into her home and treated them to homemade borshch and holubtsi—stuffed cabbage rolls.

As is customary in Ukrainian culture, the guests talked until dark, sang songs and took a long time to say their goodbyes. The whole day was enveloped in, and warmed by, human hearts. That day, we truly lived Logotherapy.

In the context of the conference theme, it is fitting to turn to Serhii Zhadan’s Ukrainian retelling of the myth of Noah. In this poem, the Bird returning with a cherry branch becomes a symbol of freedom, renewal and a return to one’s native home. The myth of Noah was written for the artistic project Ark Ukraine.

Serhii Zhadan

BIRD

A bird flies over the black water.

A bird circles above our misfortune.

Above our freedom.

It hears a man’s voice behind it:

Bird’s soul, bird’s shadow,

one earth and one sky.

The sky above us is only just opening;

for you and me, everything is only beginning.

We must walk behind the heavy harrow.

We must contend with the creatures of the night.

At dawn, we must listen to the wells.

We must grow into the wheat of July.

Bird, bird, return home.

We must make this unknown land our home.

We must love these fertile valleys.

We must wake at a late hour.

Bird, you will sing over the field.

We will find it all again, and win it back through prayer.

We will still bring back some of what we have lost.

What matters is that birds keep their wings.

Fly, bird, over the night-time shores.

Cry out, bird, over the burning snows.

Leave behind all that must be left.

This is our land; here we will live.

The bird returns with a cherry branch.

Constellations burn—high, most high.

It touches the earth with a bird’s shadow.

Then name this land Ukraine.

Our ship is heavy as a book.

A fish gently moves its fins.

Singers above unfurl the sails.

It was our Mother of God speaking with us.

An ancient ship laden with treasures

sails into a field of golden sheaves.

It rises along a river, vast and enduring,

so quiet, so deep.

A slow ship laden with songs

burns away the darkness with signal lights.

It sails on in a frenzy, sails on to exhaustion.

It seeks a land of love and anxiety.

This is our land, marked by language,

by June grass, by a winter path,

by a warm carol resembling a flower.

We know who we are, and we know where we come from.