A memorial ceremony was held to honor the life and contributions of the distinguished Ukrainian religious scholar, Ihor Kozlovskyi, at the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on Sept. 9.

Following a church service, a public memorial ceremony took place in the monastery’s courtyard, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.

The gathering included a multitude of mourners who came to pay their respects to Kozlovskyi, among them, not only his family but also eminent figures from various sectors of society, including politicians, military personnel, representatives of the clergy, media, and the arts, as well as former captives.

Among those present were Ukraine’s fifth president, Petro Poroshenko, MP Serhiy Rakhmanin, Chairman of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis Refat Chubarov, former Minister of Education Serhiy Kvit, and former Minister of Culture Volodymyr Borodyansky. Also, Anton Drovovych, the head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, and former captives Volodymyr Zhemchuhov and Stanislav Aseyev paid their respects.

Kozlovskyi, a prominent Ukrainian scholar, historian, and religious expert, died on Sept. 6, 2023, at the age of 69.

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Kozlovskyi was born in Donetsk in 1954 and left an indelible mark on the field of religious studies. He authored 50 scientific works and over 200 scholarly articles in encyclopedias, periodicals, and dictionaries. One of his most celebrated works is the monograph titled “History of Religion.”

He was an esteemed member of the Ukrainian PEN Club and served as the senior research fellow at the Department of Religious Studies at the Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

He held various leadership roles, including serving as the president of the Center for Religious Studies of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies, as well as the presidency of the public organization Center Discovery and vice presidency of the Ukrainian Center for Islamic Studies.

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Furthermore, he contributed his expertise as a member of the Expert Council on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.

Kozlovskyi’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine was evident when he chose to remain in the city following the Russian invasion in 2014, citing the health of his ailing son. Due to his staunch pro-Ukrainian stance, he was taken captive by “DPR” militants, enduring nearly two grueling years (700 days) of captivity and torture.

However, on Dec. 27, 2017, his spirit remained unbroken as he was successfully released as part of a major prisoner exchange.

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