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Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Ukraine

5th December 2011

The first mosque in Kyiv

Shortly after I arrived in Ukraine in 2008, the Mufti of Ukraine, Sheikh Akhmed Tamim, invited me to visit him at the site of the proposed new Kyiv mosque, the first in the city.  I was pleased to take up this invitation and had an interesting discussion with him about Islam, and the history of inter-denominational relations, in Ukraine.

At that time, the Mufti showed me the plans for the proposed new mosque in Kyiv, on an escarpment above Podil.  They looked pretty ambitious to me; but he assured me that, with the right planning permissions, the mosque would be built.

I was therefore delighted to be invited, along with many others, to the opening of the new “Ar-Rahma” mosque in Kyiv on 2 December.  On a mild, sunny day, people crammed into the courtyard for opening speeches, including from representatives of the President and the Ukrainian government, before moving into the mosque itself for further ceremonies.

The growth of religious tolerance in Ukraine is a great achievement of the Ukrainian leadership and people.  I wish the new mosque, and the Islamic community in Kyiv and in Ukraine as a whole, all the best for the future.

New Kyiv Mosque December 2011

3 comments on “The first mosque in Kyiv”

  1. The key point is that in Ukraine, as in the UK, religious tolerance is profoundly important. I hope we can all agree with that.

  2. Very good news…@Richard you know Islam is the fastest growing religion in ur country,…..and oneday u will be read same news abt Ukrain InshAllah.

  3. I think the Ambassador is crazy to support this. Look what has happened in the UK. Muslims just create problems for local cultures. Look at what they are doing to Paris.

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About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.

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