Dmytro Komarov Explores Odesa Region's Mysterious Communities and Rituals

The journalist and author of the project "The World Inside Out. Ukraine" project, Dmytro Komarov visited Odesa region for the third time in a year, and this time he visited three places at once.

First, the show's team visited the village of Dobroslav, 40 kilometers from Odesa, where they talked to representatives of the "bearded" community, which the authors of the episode characterized as one of the most mysterious and closed communities in Ukraine.

In 2018, a family from this community was listed in the National Register of Records as the largest family in Ukraine. At that time, the family had 346 members, and as of 2021, it has grown to 400. The members of this community call themselves "Evangelical Christians of the Holy Zionists," and they are also called "Murashkovites" in honor of the founder of this movement. It was founded by a re-emigrant Ivan Murashko, who declared himself to Ukraine from the United States as the prophet Elijah, who prophesied on behalf of God. and made a sacrifice by inflicting 26 stab wounds on his beloved Olga Kirilchuk. He claimed that the woman was the second coming of the Messiah. The blood soaked handkerchiefs, which are still kept in the community and used in religious rituals.

From Dobroslav, the show 's team traveled to Bolhrad district to take part in a sacrificial rite in the village of Horodne, which locals call "Kurban" in Muslim. This rite is a sacrifice to God and has its own legend. The locals said that the custom was introduced long ago because the village was plagued by illnesses and accidents, and the elders decided that they needed to make a vow to God and organize a Kurban sacrifice. Since then, this ritual has been performed every year. They slaughter rams and smear their blood on children, and then celebrate with the whole village at a big table.

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Dmytro Komarov and his team also traveled to Bolhrad and gave a last rites to a local resident Oleksandr Bortnyk, who was killed in action by a drone in the Kherson region.

Earlier, the World Inside Out visited Odesa region and took part in the production of young wine, and in March, journalist and author of the World Inside Out. Ukraine" project, Dmytro Komarov started the new season of his show in 2025 with Odesa region. Together with border guards, the show's team visited Zmiinyi Island.

He is not the only blogger who has visited Odesa region in recent years. In September 2024, Olya Manko and Max Uzol continued to travel around the southern part of Odesa region and visited the city of Vilkovo, which is called the Ukrainian Venice. The region was also visited twice by the team of the Khashchy project, whose participants travel to the most remote and deserted villages of Ukraine.

Кирило Бойко