(Minghui.org) A group of Falun Dafa practitioners brought a touch of tranquility to City Day in Rivne, Ukraine, on August 30, 2026.
Practitioners from four Ukrainian cities—Lviv, Netishyn, Lutsk and Kyiv—traveled to Rivne to support local practitioners and hold the event.
Participate Despite the War
Five practitioners from Kyiv traveled to Rivne by car. Before this, Kyiv had been subjected to almost hourly attacks by jet drones for days. On the eve of the trip, the main road that the practitioners needed to take from Kyiv to Rivne was also closed due to severe damage caused by explosions in the Kyiv region. However, the practitioners decided to take a detour, even though it would take longer.
Tatyana, a practitioner from Kyiv, explained why she and the others were determined to take this trip.
“I really hope that, in these difficult times, Ukrainians will have an effective way to remain calm and bring their bodies, minds and nervous systems into harmony,” she said. “I’ve practiced Falun Dafa for 25 years, since my final years at school, and I experienced first-hand how this practice truly helps one to calm down, find balance, and discover answers in a wide variety of situations and difficulties.”
Many practitioners in Kyiv do the exercises together every week, which has been a grounding activity for Tatyana amidst the chaos of the conflict. She feels that the “energy” that comes from doing the exercises “harmonises not only yourself, but also your surroundings.”
“I’d like people in Rivne to know that there is such a wonderful practice, which is based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance,” she said. “And it’s completely free.”
Fortunately, when the practitioners reached the section of the road that had previously been closed that morning, it was partially reopened, and they passed through without any problems.
Residents and Visitors Are Interested in Falun Dafa
Raisa heard the soothing Falun Dafa exercise music and watched people practicing it for quite some time. In the end, she took some information leaflets and a phone number from a practitioner in Rivne so that she could come and learn the exercises.
A resident of Rivne also approached the event table, and his attention was drawn to the book Zhuan Falun—the foundation of the Falun Dafa teachings—which lay there. He said he previously borrowed a copy, read it, and now wanted to own a copy. He said, “This book is a lifeline.”
Another woman thanked the practitioners for telling her about the practice and added: “I’ve been interested in this knowledge for a long time, but I just couldn’t make sense of it as a coherent system. I’d read bits and pieces from various sources, but couldn’t grasp just how closely knowledge of the universe and energy is linked to a person and their level of morality. Thank you!”
People Sign a Petition to End the Persecution
Passersby were also invited to sign a petition to end the persecution. Although the practice is entirely peaceful and apolitical, the persecution of Falun Dafa began in 1999 at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Many people in Rivne were moved by practitioners’ efforts and signed the petition. Maria and her granddaughter asked about the persecution, and after she signed the petition, Maria explained that her family had also suffered at the hands of the communist regime in Ukraine in the past.
Some young people from Lutsk who were passing by also took an interest in the exercises and asked about the persecution the Chinese Communist Party carries out against practitioners. They signed the petition.
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