In February, Yuri Boyechko, the president of the Ukrainian Foundation, had the honor of attending the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC. He received the invitation from Doug Burleigh, former president of Young Life and current leader of The Fellowship, the organization that hosts the event.
The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual gathering where political, religious, and social leaders from around the world come together to pray. It takes place on the first Thursday of February at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Since 1953, it has attracted over 3,500 participants from more than 100 countries each year. In February 2024, guests from 127 countries attended the event. At the same time, Ukrainian Week 2024 was happening in the U.S. capital. The decorations in yellow and blue served as a timely reminder of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
During his time at the National Prayer Breakfast, Yuri Boyechko attended various meetings and workshops and also enjoyed a gala concert. He reported at the Foundation’s Advisory Board meeting that he had an effective one-hour meeting with Doug Burleigh. Most of it was dedicated to discussing the Ukraine agenda and exploring opportunities for the Ukrainian Foundation’s growth and development. Boyechko has known Burleigh from their previous joint nonprofit projects. He said that Burleigh is recognized as one of the most influential men in the world. As a Christian leader, Burleigh has a special talent for conveying information and advocating for urgent matters. He can facilitate decision-making processes where official diplomacy is sometimes powerless. Boyechko was grateful for the discussion with Burleigh and expressed his hope to promote future collaborations that will support the Ukrainian agenda on behalf of the Ukrainian Foundation.
Yuri had two separate encounters with Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an oligarch who was formerly jailed by Putin and is now the founder of the Open Russia movement. Khodorkovsky is known for his support of Ukraine and has initiated humanitarian projects such as the Anti-war Committee. One of his projects, called Sunrise, focuses on delivering aid to Ukraine, including the supplies that his son Pavel helps distribute in various regions of Ukraine. During one of the encounters, Boyechko spoke with Khodorkovsky about the Ukrainian Foundation’s mission. The foundation continues to send high-quality tourniquets to Ukraine, which are the number one item that saves lives.
Boyechko also met with his former colleague John Wiebe, CEO & President of the Mennonite Brethren Foundation, an organization that helps build churches and prayer houses. Yuri served for six years on the board of the Mennonite Brethren Foundation and admits that he uses knowledge and skills from his past nonprofit work experience there in his current work in the Ukrainian Foundation.
At one of the events during the National Prayer Breakfast, Boyechko had a brief but meaningful conversation with Serhii Sobolev, a member of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament.
During one of the Ukrainian Week 2024 events, Yuri had a meeting with Serhii Demydovych who is a Pentecostal pastor from Eastern Ukraine and a well-known Protestant blogger. Demydovych openly advocates for the importance of providing aid for Ukraine’s defense, including weapons.
Serhii Rakhuba became one of Yuri Boyechko’s newest acquaintances at the National Prayer Breakfast. Rakhuba is the president of Mission Eurasia and plays the leading role in implementing strategic ministry models in Europe and Asia.
Frank Pesce is the organizer of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast. According to Yuri, Pesce plays a very active role in fostering collaboration between Ukrainians and Jews. Described as a very agreeable person, Pesce acts as a bridge between the Ukrainian and Jewish communities, aiming to strengthen their relations.
Mykhailo Savkiv, a former president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the current Director of the Ukrainian Information Service, expressed his support for the Ukrainian Foundation. He is willing to visit the Ukrainian community in Oregon and focus on potential joint projects between Ukrainians on the east and west coasts of the United States to benefit Ukraine.
Yuri Boyechko also met with Borys Gudziak, an American prelate of the Catholic Church and the President of the Ukrainian Catholic University. Boyechko described him as a spiritual and charismatic person and expressed his wish for Gudziak to visit the Ukrainian Catholic community in Oregon.
During the National Prayer Breakfast and Ukrainian Week 2024 in Washington, D.C., Boyechko had the opportunity to meet with Iryna Vashchuck Discipio, the president of Revived Soldiers Ukraine, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and assisting in the medical rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers. Boyechko invited Discipio to visit Oregon to foster cooperation between their organizations. They are planning their first project for June 2024, which will involve Oksana Mukha, an honored artist of Ukraine and the ambassador of Revived Soldiers Ukraine, coming to Portland to hold a concert. The funds raised from the concert will be used to purchase prosthetics for Ukrainian soldiers undergoing medical rehabilitation in the United States.
During Ukrainian Week 2024, several speakers, including religious and state leaders, presented on stage. Davyd Arakhamia, a member of Ukraine’s parliament and the leader of the ruling Servant of the People party, visited Washington, D.C., to advocate for U.S. aid for Ukraine. The delay in the promised supply of weapons poses a significant threat to the safety of Ukrainian civilians, leading to a high risk of casualties on a daily basis.
Ukraine’s cultural diplomacy aims to promote engagement between different Ukrainian communities in countries where Ukrainians live. Culture plays a significant role in building trust and fostering collaboration with host communities. Ukrainian artists, such as Mykhailo Khoma of DZIDZIO, serve as cultural ambassadors, raising awareness of historical events, traditions, and modern culture through their performances. Mykhailo Khoma attended Ukrainian Week 2024 to speak out and advocate for support and aid for Ukraine.
Tetyana Bondarchuk
thorner@ukrainian.foundation