Three Roman Catholic nuns decided it was time to see for themselves Independence Square, where for more than two weeks the supporters of Viktor Yushchenko, the opposition candidate for president, have been demonstrating in below-zero temperatures.
Early on Sunday morning, the nuns took a bus from Bila Cerkva, about 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, south of the capital. Once in the city, they walked to Independence Square, dressed in warm black overcoats.
The nuns said they were astonished by what they found.
"It is wonderful, the people joining together," said one of the nuns. "But I cannot say much more. The Catholic Church is not supposed to take sides."
The nuns then asked for directions to St. Alexander's, one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in this multidenominational city.
These nuns are just one example of how the immense political upheaval in Ukraine has brought out onto the streets members of almost all of the religious communities. Most are supporting Yushchenko, others Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, whose candidacy has been backed by the outgoing president, Leonid Kuchma, and by Moscow.
Ukraine is home to an unusual mix of denominations. There are two Orthodox patriarchates: one, loyal to Moscow, counts 26.5 percent of Ukraine's population of 48 million as adherents; the other, loyal to Kiev, has the support of 20 percent of the population. About 13 percent of Ukrainians belong to the Ukrainian Catholic Uniate Church, which is not led by Rome. The other communities come from the Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths.
Almost all the denominations were harassed by the Communist regime. Once the Communists were removed in the early 1990s, religious life started to flourish, despite a lack of funds and the refusal by the authorities, according to the communities, to return confiscated property or land.
Despite the Roman Catholic Church's official stance regarding the demonstrations, the pastor of St. Alexander's, the Reverend Olexander Hoursky, was not afraid to express his views.
"The ecclesiastical authorities are not supposed to take a stand in this crisis," said Hoursky, 33, speaking in a low voice in the church's sacristy.
"The Church supports good against evil, the protection of human rights and the end of any injustices, corruption, the state abuse of power. Personally, I hope Yushchenko becomes president. He will give us back our property."
Even though Ukraine became independent from the former Soviet Union nearly 15 years ago, Hoursky said the authorities have not returned property originally owned by the Roman Catholic Church. "We have to lease this church from the state," he explained as priests bustled in the background to another Mass, this time for children. "The authorities promised they would return our property. They have not. We expect Yushchenko to do so. He said he would."
A few kilometers away, there was no letup in the crowds emerging into the icy cold from the dank Arsenal subway station, the closest to Ukraine's Parliament. Many were arriving with their families, grandparents and grandchildren to support the demonstrations.
Amid the crowds walking toward the Parliament were Ukrainian Catholic Uniates. Unlike the Reverend Hoursky's Roman Catholics, this group of young nuns and priests had no inhibitions about waving orange flags and showing the V for Victory sign to those who had set up soup kitchens in the back of their cars. "I came to demonstrate because I am fed up with corruption. These courageous people need all the support they can get," said the Reverend Mikhail, a young bearded Uniate Catholic. The Uniates were cheered.
There were only catcalls for the small, snakelike procession that wound its way past the Parliament, the Supreme Court and other places where the opposition had set up its protests.
This procession, which has taken place every day since the demonstrations began, belonged to the Orthodox Church, which is loyal to Moscow. No more than three dozen in number on Sunday, it consisted mostly of old people. All carried religious icons. Some carried portraits of their patrons, Nicholas, Russia's last czar, and his wife, Alexandra, who were assassinated by the Bolsheviks near the end of World War I.
"We are against these orange people," said Alexander Vladirimov, a doctor. "We want stability and security in our country. These people are not for democracy."
In front of him, the old women chanted. Yushchenko's supporters taunted them. The old women averted their eyes, raising crosses to protect themselves and to bless the crowds. The leaders held high on narrow poles the blue and white colors of the Yanukovich camp and even higher, portraits of Orthodox religious figures, provoking laughter and scorn from the opposition.