In a groundbreaking move, Ukraine has launched online marriage services, allowing couples separated by war to tie the knot digitally. The first couple to utilize this service, Olha Shevchenko and Mykyta Pukhkan, exchanged vows through the Diia mobile application earlier this September.
Shevchenko shared her experience with the Kyiv Independent, explaining that they discovered the beta version of the online wedding feature in May and decided to take the plunge despite the ongoing conflict. “We were planning to get married, maybe not this year, but we did,” she said.
The Diia app, launched by the Ministry of Digital Transformation in 2020, serves over 20 million Ukrainians and provides access to various official documents, including passports and driver’s licenses. After months of testing, the app’s marriage feature was officially introduced in September, making Ukraine the first country to fully digitize the marriage process.
Couples can now apply, propose, and marry online, regardless of their physical location. Shevchenko and Pukhkan celebrated their union in a café in Izmail while participating in a virtual ceremony conducted by a registrar. “The ceremony was perfect, even with an air raid alert and a power outage,” Shevchenko noted.
As of September 20, 251 couples had successfully married through Diia, with 3,200 applications submitted and nearly 830,000 proposals recorded. Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov emphasized the uniqueness of the service, stating it encompasses the entire marriage cycle online.
The introduction of online marriage in Ukraine was driven by necessity amid the ongoing war. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, nearly a million people have been enlisted in defense of the country. The Justice Ministry reported a total of 222,890 marriages in 2022, a stark increase from previous years. However, the number dropped to 186,051 in 2023, alongside a rise in divorces.
To adapt to wartime realities, Ukraine’s parliament simplified marriage procedures, allowing military personnel to marry remotely, even while on the front lines. “For Ukrainians, this is no time for tons of bureaucracy,” said Vitalii Tsariuk, highlighting the importance of accessibility in challenging times.
Despite these advancements, not all couples enjoy equal access to marriage rights. Tsariuk and his partner Viktor applied for marriage through the app but faced rejection, which Tsariuk viewed as an opportunity to advocate for same-sex marriage legislation. Same-sex marriage remains illegal in Ukraine, with a bill to recognize civil partnerships stalled in parliament.
This legal gap denies the LGBTQ+ community critical rights, including the ability to make decisions about a partner’s burial. Tsariuk emphasized the importance of raising awareness about these issues, stating, “If people are not interested in this topic, they do not know.”
Currently, LGBTQ+ couples cannot complete marriage applications in Diia, receiving an error message that requires a heterosexual pairing. However, the app allows proposals, which some couples have used as a form of commitment. “Diia is basically ready to register same-sex couples; it’s just waiting for the laws to allow it,” Tsariuk remarked.
Ukraine’s online marriage initiative offers a vital lifeline for couples navigating the complexities of love and war, while also highlighting the pressing need for legal recognition of same-sex partnerships. As the nation grapples with conflict, the evolution of marriage rights remains a critical aspect of societal progress.
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