Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed a Ukrainian Community

by Valentyn Syniy

When Russia invaded Ukraine, an evangelical seminary lost everything—except its commitment to serving God.
 
In this searing eyewitness account, Valentyn Syniy recounts how the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 upended life for students, teachers, and staff of the Tavriski Christian Institute. As president of TCI, Syniy was responsible for evacuating the seminary community and leading them hundreds of miles to a safer location. Upon arrival, Syniy and his colleagues faced new where would everyone stay? How long would they live as refugees? How could ministry training continue during wartime?
 
What unfolded over the next nine months is a gripping story of faith and resilience amid fear and chaos. Displaced and dispossessed, TCI courageously embraced new forms of Christian service. They poured their energies into the town that was sheltering them, ministering to neighbors in need and facilitating activities for local youth. They drove into combat zones to help shuttle people to safety. Despite the devastating news that their campus back home had been destroyed, they carried on with their educational pursuits, holding classes in makeshift spaces.
 
While showing how the war impacted the seminary, Syniy also reveals how it affected him and his family—how within the chaos, for example, they carved out sacred space to celebrate his daughter’s wedding; how he worried about his elderly father, a pastor who refused to evacuate because he did not want to abandon his congregation; how it felt to see his home again after months of displacement and trauma. The result is a powerful account of the war’s impact on individuals as well as communities.
 
Serving God Under Siege occupies an important space in Christian writing about war. Syniy explores the same question that C. S. Lewis addressed in his classic sermon “Learning in War-Time”: how can an educational institution carry on when the world is falling apart? By exploring this question in a full-length book, Syniy is able to delve deeper and illuminate more complex answers. Serving God Under Siege is also a worthy successor to Corrie Ten Boom’s classic memoir The Hiding Place, insofar as it transports readers to a place where Christians are grappling with contemporary evil and trying to find ways to bear witness to Christ’s love. Simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring, Syniy’s book is a must read for those who care about the global church and want to understand the human cost of the war in Ukraine.

Genres: History, Memoir

266 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2025

Reviews

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, I was serving in an interim capacity at a local church. We placed a Ukrainian flag on the digital sign with the words "Praying for Ukraine." Initially, it seemed as though the much more powerful Russian Army would reach Kyiv in just a few days. We're moving toward the completion of four years of war, and the Ukrainians fight on. Here in the United States, the plight of the Ukrainian people has taken a backseat as we address other pressing matters. Nevertheless, we should not forget the Ukrainian people who have resisted their powerful neighbor at the cost of many lives. It is helpful to hear from voices from the front lines to better understand what is truly happening.

"Serving God Under Siege" by Valentyn Syniy offers a firsthand account of the devastation brought upon the Ukrainian people. Syniy, whom I had an opportunity to meet at the 2025 AARSBL meeting in Boston, is the president of Tavriski Christian Institute in Kherson, Ukraine. Kherson lies in the southern part of Ukraine, near Crimea, which the Russians illegally occupied in 2014. Therefore, it lies close to the border and was an early target of the Russian invasion. Syniy takes us on a journey that begins with the February 2022 invasion, which forced the evacuation of the seminary and thousands of people who lived in Kherson. Despite preparing for the possibility of an invasion, the attack came quickly, forcing a quick departure as the Russian army approached the city. As he tells the story of the invasion and evacuation, we get a sense of the true realities of the war.

We follow Syniy, his family, and members of his community of evangelicals as they flee to the west, trying to stay ahead of the Russian advance. He tells of the challenges of finding vehicles to carry the people, the challenge of finding gas, and places to stay. They purchased a van before they left town, but it had many mechanical problems that had to be overcome. But they continued to move toward the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, where TCI had made arrangements with Baptist churches for housing (they were not the only refugees streaming toward that city.

The good news is that the people in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk welcomed the refugees, but there were cultural differences that proved challenging, as we see here. Of course, the seminary's ability to provide education was curtailed, but Syniy shares how he and others in his community organized efforts to provide support to the refugees from the frontline areas, including making trips into Kherson to bring people to safety. While he considered joining the army, he recognized that he could be more effective in leading relief efforts. At the same time, we hear reports of what was happening at the seminary, which was taken over by Russian soldiers who looted it, taking equipment and resources, while laying waste to the library. Syniy shares very matter-of-factly the challenges of gaining support for their efforts from outside the region. We hear how he had developed a strong set of connections in Western Europe and the United States for the educational and missional efforts, but sometimes outside supporters were less interested in the relief efforts.

There is good news to share amidst the devastation. We hear stories of how the communities came together to support each other. This includes other seminaries that helped support TCI, especially once they could return to Kherson. Even before they returned to Kherson, TCI set up a makeshift educational center, in part with the help of other schools. While they lacked all the resources of the school that had been built up over twenty-five years, they were determined to continue with their calling to raise up pastors and leaders for the churches. Syniy also addresses the need for prophetic voices, even though they failed to raise the consciousness of Russian Christians in light of the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers.

As we progress through time, we watch as the people connected to TCI long for home while making lives in their adopted homes. Syniy offers a strong defense of self-sufficiency while recognizing the need for assistance from outside. Throughout the book, Syniy raises theological questions, reminding us that a situation like this one does challenge one's theology in ways different from situations that are much less dire. He notes that the war did serve as a blow to the faith of many Christians, with many leaving the churches and stopping believing in God. He offers a chapter titled "Theology After Bucha," which wrestles with the Russian massacre of the people of the village of Bucha, a massacre that demonstrated that the Russian purpose was to annihilate the Ukrainians. The situation in Ukraine raises important questions about how Christians should involve themselves in politics and matters of state. Should they stay neutral as their nation is being invaded? But as we see here, that is not possible.

There is good news in the end. Kherson is liberated, and the people can begin returning home. Unfortunately, the TCI property, which had been built up over twenty-five years of existence, had been devastated. But they could return home. That is the good news. Of course, the war is not over. The tide could again turn. But a book like this helps us gain a close-up view of the situation in a faraway land. As one who has tried to stand in support of the Ukrainian struggle, I am grateful that this book has been written. I also hope it will gain a wide readership so that others, especially those who are skeptical of the Ukrainian cause, can get a better sense of what is happening in Ukraine. As for me, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with Valentyn Syniy in person and gain a better understanding of what is at stake in this war, especially for the church.

[Alfie Mosse · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the preface to the English edition, pastor Syniy says, “The book was conceived as an honest account of what it is like to be displaced during a war in the modern world, very often a world of lonely people. This is the view of an ordinary person, a displaced person, who was not a soldier but served as a pastor of a church and was the president of a seminary in the south of Ukraine.” (7). In my view, Valentine Syniy delivers on the implied promise of the description of this book.
The book covers roughly the first nine months of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. He gives a first-person account of his experience. Included in his experience are many of his reflections of what is happening in the moment and also reflections on reflections as he reviews past recent events. I found the author’s honest expression of his emotions (anger, confusion, sadness, joy, hope, etc.) vulnerable and refreshing. If I had one criticism of this book, it would be that the translation seemed to me disjointed at points. However, knowing that it was written by a non-native English speaker, I wonder if that was on purpose. If it was, it adds to the authenticity of the reading experience. That said, the language did not distract me from the content and I found the writing overall authentic, personal, and accessible. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to journey with someone through truly tragic and evil circumstances in a way that goes so much deeper that news soundbites.

[Linda Rubush · Rating 5 out of 5]

A personal account of living in Ukraine during first 9 months of the Russian invasion. This was personal for me- I’ve been there, I know the author. As Americans we are unaware of the true atrocities of the war. This book will open your eyes to the experiences of living and doing ministry in Ukraine during war. Real people real lives highly recommend

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping true story, a compelling spiritual must-read, an inspiring tale about Ukraine and a Christian seminary trying to survive the war with Russia. I dare you to put this down and found myself furiously praying for all the brave citizens still fighting to survive. A triumph!

[James Hansee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentyn has shared a real, honest, god-honoring perspective in the war in Ukraine. The book is extremely well written and a pleasure to read. The stories are heart breaking, but Valentyn and so many others are still working for God's Kingdom to come in Ukraine as it is in heaven.

[Audrey Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful account of surviving the ongoing destruction of Russian attack s on a Ukrainian Baptist minister and the effects on family and community. A story that is hard to read and hard to put down till the very end.