Death and funeral of Patriarch Volodymyr of Kyiv

Death and funeral of Patriarch Volodymyr of Kyiv
Grave of the patriarch near the bell tower of St. Sophia Cathedral
Date18 July 1995 (1995-07-18)
Location
50°27′10.8″N 30°30′55.39″E / 50.453000°N 30.5153861°E / 50.453000; 30.5153861
GoalsBurial of Volodymyr Romaniuk in Saint Sophia Cathedral
ConcessionsRomaniuk buried in Sophia Square
Parties
Lead figures
Casualties and losses
35 injured
  • 25 injured
  • 2 dead (claimed by UNSO)

The death and funeral of Patriarch Volodymyr of Kyiv is an important historical event in Ukraine soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and religious revival in the country. It happened so, that Patriarch Volodymyr Romaniuk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate, which was established in the summer of 1992, died on 14 July 1995. His funeral subsequently turned into a riot, popularly known as Black Tuesday (Ukrainian: чорний вівторок, romanizedchornyi vivtorok), after members of the Berkut special police force attempted to prevent mourners from accessing Kyiv's St. Sophia Cathedral, with members of the far-right Ukrainian People's Self-Defence attacking members of the security forces. It was the first incident of police attacking a peaceful gathering in Ukraine since 1991.