Introduction by Matfey Shaheen: We found it at Fields-of-the-Forest! Let us go where He is waiting and worship at his footstool! Those are the words of Psalm 131, as chanted in the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts according to the Romanian tradition. If there is any other place that could be called Fields-of-the-Forests—it's the forested meadowland of Volhynia.
Volhynia is a region of Northwestern Ukraine, related to Red Ruthenia or Chervona Rus’, which includes part of Southeastern Poland and Southwestern Belarus. It is part of the broader historical area of Polesia which literally means “at the forest”, and stretches across the entire far north of Ukraine, and south of Belarus, into Poland at the western extreme, and modern Russia at the eastern. This land is filled with amazing Saints who survived centuries of oppression, from the Uniates to atheistic communists, and nevertheless preserved the Orthodox Faith in their sunlit fields.
Pochaev Lavra
No matter how many political forces attempted to spread conflict and schism in these long-suffering lands, Orthodoxy shines over Pochaev Lavra, and Holy Mountain Dormition Monastery in Zymne, founded by Saint Vladimir the Baptizer of all Rus’. Through the prayers of all the Saints of Volhynia, may God cause his face to shine upon this sunny land, and make her unconquerable against those who try to bring strife.
