By Alexandra Xavi · Testimony given with Denys at the EBU AGM, Brussels, 9 May 2026
Denys and Alexandra, the speakers of this testimony, lived through the occupations of Mariupol and Bucha. We came to Brussels not as politicians, but as Buddhist practitioners, speaking on behalf of an association of several Buddhist communities of different traditions, which we call “The Land of the Buddha.”
We came as people who have lived through occupation, displacement, bombardment, persecution, the loss of homes, and the constant presence of death — and who are still trying to preserve Dharma, compassion, awareness, and humanity.
We sincerely thank the European Buddhist Union, its board, and all participants of this conference for giving us the opportunity to speak, and for the support, solidarity, and compassion shown to Ukraine and to Ukrainian Buddhists during these difficult years.
We want to speak about what happens to Buddhist communities when cities are destroyed, people are displaced, teachers die, students disappear, temples and centres are lost, and ordinary life collapses — and when, even then, one must continue to practise.
There is too much to say and too little time. It is impossible to describe everything. But as practitioners, we know that through meditation, compassion, and awareness, we can at least partly touch the suffering of others.
Before speaking further, we invite you into a shared space of peace, compassion, and harmony.
Samantabhadra Dharani: Atandai tandahadai tandahatei.
Our Community Before the War
Buddhist communities have existed actively in Donetsk since 1996. Together with Kyiv, Donetsk was one of the main centres for the development of Buddhism in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
It was never easy. Buddhist communities faced obstacles with registration, bureaucracy, and unequal conditions for religious organisations. Formally, legal procedures were possible, but in practice small Buddhist communities struggled to compete with larger and more powerful religious structures.
Before 2014, nine Buddhist communities were officially registered in the Donetsk region.
We received support, teachings, and recognition from many masters and traditions, both in Ukraine and abroad: Korean Jogye and Taego orders; Japanese Rinzai and Soto traditions; Chinese Chan and Pure Land masters; Ole Nydahl and his wife; the Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu tradition; Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche of the Dzogchen tradition; and Patrul Rinpoche of the Nyingma tradition.
There were many traditions, forms, and methods. But for us the foundation was always the same: Buddha Dharma, practice, compassion, and the path of liberation from suffering.
2014: The First Loss of Home
When Russia began its aggression against Ukraine in 2014, many of our communities were forced to relocate. Some practitioners stayed in Donetsk. Contact with some of them was lost, and their fate is still unknown.
In the occupied territories, many religious communities came under pressure or were practically banned. Religious figures were arrested. People were intimidated. Some went through imprisonment, torture, or disappearance.
The Sheichen Ling monastery of the Nyingma tradition was destroyed. Its leader, Dorje Zhambo, died on Ukrainian territory after what we believe was a fabricated case.
After 2014, several of our groups settled in Mariupol and Sviatohirsk. Others scattered around the world. Among us were practitioners of Zen, Dzogchen, Gelug, Vajrayana, Mahamudra, and Nyingma.
Different communities, different directions, different forms of practice — but in general, Ekayana: one vehicle, one path.
Mariupol, 2022: Practice in Hell
In February 2022, the full-scale invasion began. The core of our community found itself under occupation in Mariupol.
We survived cold, hunger, exhaustion, shelling, bombings, and the constant presence of death.
We share these stories not to shock, but to help others understand what people went through — and how the practice of Buddha Dharma helped us survive.
Today, Mariupol is mentioned much less often. Perhaps this topic is uncomfortable for many people. According to our feelings and testimonies, tens of thousands of civilians may have died there. We believe the real number of deaths may reach around 100,000 people out of a population of about 650,000.
The city became a place of enormous suffering.
Among those who died were Dharma teachers and coaches of children’s centres and clubs: Hlib Voievudko Vladyslav Zykov Asya Behliarova Denys Blokhin Maksym Svietlov We remember them in silence.
What We Saw
A rocket or powerful air bomb hit a nearby ninestorey building with six entrances. The whole building collapsed instantly. The ground shook. Nobody survived.
Death came instantly, just as it did in the Mariupol Drama Theatre.
Even now, it is difficult to walk past that place. The breath of death is still felt there. People become silent without noticing it. Even children who remained under occupation almost never smile.
When the Ksitigarbha mantra was chanted there, it seemed as if phantom images of the dead appeared in the air.
In another place, a rocket launcher missile hit the upper floors of a building. A husband and wife screamed in pain while burning alive. It was impossible to save them physically, so we offered the Amitabha Buddha mantra.
May they have a better rebirth.
The neighbours who heard their screams, and breathed the smell of burned air, later could not look into each other’s eyes. Everyone silently shared compassion.
The conditions were extremely harsh: eight degrees below zero at night, unsanitary conditions, dust, soot, exhaust fumes from tanks and gunfire, constant cold, and almost no normal sleep. It was difficult to move and almost impossible to lie down. Most people only sat. Feet stayed in shoes almost all the time. People and animals slowly began to lose their minds. Most people looked like living dead. Everyone had altered states of consciousness.
Only awareness, complete acceptance, helping others, memory of Refuge, and the understanding that much still had to be done for the development of Buddha Dharma helped us continue.
Meditation without meditation.
Listening to spontaneous Wisdom.
How We Practise During War
In our experience, during active combat it is almost impossible to practise classical meditation.
What remains is awareness in simple things: empty mind, emptiness of feelings, emptiness of bodies.
The paired practice of compassion and wisdom mantras becomes appropriate. Sometimes you say a mantra only once in your mind and then run, looking around for soldiers, mines, and incoming fire.
Interaction with others is extremely important for survival. We remember the Precious Treasures. We think about the meaning of life. We let everything go — both right and wrong. We try to see how higher consciousness guides us through trials.
We keep neutral equanimity, because otherwise it is impossible to pass through such tests. The nervous system cannot endure the pain and emotions without it.
We feel love for those close to us. We practise Dharani, body heat yoga, qigong, and dream practice, erasing the boundaries between sleep and reality.
And we practise limitless patience — simply enduring hardship and suffering, up to the patience of unborn dharmas.
Dharani of Innumerable Meanings: Om, Rin-ra, Aan-man-mae, Budhagatae.
What We Have Lost
Since 2014, the Donetsk Buddhist community has been one of the Buddhist communities most affected by the war.
We lost two retreat centres, two wellness centres, two sports centres, apartments, cars, places of practice, and the material foundation built over many years.
One Dharma teacher died together with his wife. Three of our fellow Dharma students died in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Some disappeared without a trace.
Even without counting moral damage, the material losses are tens of millions of euros.
But how can broken lives be counted?
Spiritual People Without Protection
One of our biggest problems is forced mobilisation and the lack of proper protection for spiritual people. Although international law gives special protection to clergy and religious personnel, in practice this is often ignored.
Denys, who is speaking here today, should have been exempt from mobilisation because of health issues, but this was ignored. He was detained, beaten, had one tooth broken, and was sent to a military unit after documents were processed with violations.
He explained that he is a Buddhist, a teacher, and the leader of a place of the Way.
They only laughed at him.
But Denys kept a clear mind. His wife went through offices, worked with a lawyer, and challenged the illegal actions. We prayed for his fate. Almost miraculously, he was released.
The Problems We Face Today
Our communities now face several serious problems.
First, we need protection from repression and mobilisation. The lack of proper protection for spiritual people and religious leaders remains one of the most painful unresolved issues.
Second, many people who left Ukraine are stuck in adaptation. Some moved away from Buddha Dharma. Some, because of pain, trauma, and loss of support, even turned against their teachers and communities. We try to help those who remain in contact with us find Buddhist centres nearby, but almost everyone carries deep stress from the loss of their past life.
Third, those who stayed in Ukraine are exhausted. War brings constant fatigue: shelling, destruction, energy crises, lack of medicine, reduced access to food, and mass suffering. The mental condition of many people is extremely heavy.
We work with this as much as we can, but our possibilities are limited by air raid alarms, checks on streets and roads, and the risks of mobilisation.
Fourth, our financial situation is very difficult. We sincerely thank everyone who has helped us financially, especially Stefano, and members of the EBU Board who intend to help us with documents and procedures.
Prisoners and Victims
We ask you to pray for Dmytro Shurda, born in 1972, a children’s boxing coach, boxing judge, Buddhist, and native of Mariupol. Since 2022, he has been in captivity. He survived a heart attack caused by torture and abuse. We pray for his release through exchange.
We also ask you to pray for Kyryl Zaichenko, a young man from Mariupol. From 2022 until 2025, he was in captivity. He has now been exchanged, but he has serious injuries. His leg was badly damaged. After eight months of rehabilitation, part of the leg was removed and became shorter, but it still continues to rot. There is a risk of losing the leg up to the knee. He moves in a wheelchair or on crutches. His disability pension is less than 100 euros, and while doctors are free, medicine must be bought.
We have known Kyryl since he was ten years old. He helped care for the teacher’s sick mother and studied meditation.
For those who feel compassion and have the possibility to help, donations can make a real difference.
Bureaucratic Barriers
Buddhist communities that left the occupied parts of Ukraine also face difficulties inside the country: problems with registration, lack of compensation for damages, and long bureaucratic procedures.
We continue to write appeals and letters, but so far without significant results.
What We Continue to Do
Despite everything, we continue our work.
We send food, medicine, meals, and energy equipment to families most in need, especially large families. We participate in humanitarian projects, help feed victims, and take part in funeral ceremonies and burials.
We support recovery through education, practice, retreats when possible, rehabilitation after injuries and captivity, psychiatric and psychological support, civil rights work, social media, and summer educational programmes for teenagers.
We also continue Buddhist cultural and literary work: drawings, mandalas, translation, design, and printing of Buddhist literature.
Internationally, we participate in events in Malaysia, hold retreats and online classes with the Grand Patriarch of the Korean Buddhist Taego Order, Rev. Dr. Jongmae Kenneth Park, build connections with Zen.nl, meet online with communities including Zen masters of the Kwan Um school, join meditations, conferences, cultural events, and publish in Buddhismus Aktuell.
We continue to develop international connections between Buddhist communities.
Why We Speak
Today you have heard only part of what Ukrainian Buddhists have gone through.
How do we see these trials? Perhaps they are strengthening us for the work of Dharma — not only for Ukraine, but for all of Europe, and perhaps even for the world.
We share this experience to support people, strengthen consciousness, and inspire deeper and more determined Dharma practice.
Because practice, compassion, and awareness can help prevent wars and build peaceful relations between people and countries.
Thank you for your attention. Thank you for your compassion. Thank you for your understanding.
Namo Buddha. Namo Dharma. Namo Sangha.
If you want to help, please contact the EBU president Stefano Davide Bettera: s.bettera@europeanbuddhistunion.org
This article first appeared in EBU Magazine #15 – Practicing in Turbulent Times (Autumn 2026). Download the full issue as PDF or browse all issues.