• The Southern Region branch of the Ukrainian Bible Society is based in Kherson, a city of 300,000 people on the Dnieper river. Capital of the Kherson region since 1944, its main industries are mechanical engineering and shipbuilding.

• Ukrainian, the country’s official language, is spoken by around 31 million people. Throughout this region, though, Russian is much more widely spoken than Ukrainian.

• The main city in southern Ukraine is Odessa, located on the Black Sea 200 kms to the west of Kherson. Staff from the Bible Society regional office regularly travel there. Often called ‘the Pearl of the Black Sea’, it is Ukraine’s fifth-largest city, its most important trading city and, with its attractive architecture and mild climate, a popular tourist destination.

• Odessa has a population of around 1.1 million, made up of many different nationalities and ethnic groups. It also has a rich religious heritage: while the Orthodox Church prevails, as in the whole of Ukraine (accounting for some 62 per cent of Christians), many people of other denominations and faiths live here in an atmosphere which is generally tolerant and understanding.

Ukraine is home to the third-largest Jewish community in Europe. Odessa itself has two synagogues and four Jewish schools. Around 50 men usually gather to worship at the main synagogue. Even though Ukraine’s Jews are generally treated tolerantly, security measures have been put in place at the synagogue. Many Jews have emigrated to Israel or the United States, according to 23-year-old Menachim Mendel, a worshipper there.

Photo: Menachim Mendel [photo: UBS/Dag Smemo WR404/1 UKR06DJ-97]

There are 151 mosques in Ukraine, of which three are located in Odessa, home to around 20,000 Muslims. One of these serves as an Arab Cultural Centre, offering facilities for studying Arab culture and language. More than 1,000 men gather here to worship each Friday. “We want to teach people about Arab culture,” says Abazid Avad, who welcomes visitors there. “Above all, our aim is to foster peace and understanding.”

Photo: Arabic Cultural Centre [photo: UBS/Dag Smemo WR404/1 UKR06DJ-47]