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Related Photo Galleries The Orthodox Church in East Central Ukraine

Introductory Comments
Ukrainians have deep religious roots. They were originally idol worshippers. However, they were converted to Orthodoxy over 1,000 years ago. Many are interested in spiritual things and have formulated some type of personal religious position. They are open, but guarded. Many are open to all kinds of Eastern religious ideas and are very mystical and superstitious. Many believe in the God of Christianity. This does not mean that they understand much about God. Most have a Bible and some read portions of it from time to time. Many Ukrainians observe major Christian holidays (often by drinking heavily). However, there is a vast spiritual void in the society. Communist atheism fairly successfully removed the effects of Christianity from the society. Therefore, Ukrainians are likely to believe in God, but many would feel that He can be found by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike.

History of Christianity

Year began: 988 AD

By whom: Prince Vladimir the Great of Kiev

Significant events:
In 988 Saint Volodymyr (Vladimir), grand prince of Kyiv (Kiev), accepted Orthodox Christianity, and in this way brought Kievan Rus under the cultural influence of the Byzantine Empire. There was a mass baptism in Dnipr River in 988 AD as Volodymyr had his subjects converted. The famous Byzantine missionaries, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, translated (circa 864) Scripture and the liturgy into Slavonic, and many Slavic nations were converted to Byzantine Orthodox Christianity.

The Orthodox Church in Russia declared its independence from Constantinople in 1448. In 1589 the patriarchate of Moscow was established and formally recognized by Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople. For the Russian church and the tsars, Moscow had become the "third Rome," the heir to the imperial supremacy of ancient Rome and Byzantium. In 1721, Tsar Peter the Great abolished the patriarchate altogether, and thereafter the church was governed through the imperial administration. The patriarchate was reestablished in 1917, at the time of the Russian Revolution, but the church was violently persecuted by the Communist government. The state imposed severe restrictions on religious activity, banned many churches, and persecuted religious leaders. Many believers, forced underground, continued to adhere to their faiths, however. Religious activity remained relatively strong in Ukraine, and it has greatly expanded since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Orthodox Church stands in historical continuity with the communities created by the apostles of Jesus in the region of the eastern Mediterranean, and which spread by missionary activity throughout Eastern Europe. The word orthodox (from Greek, "right-believing") implies the claim of doctrinal consistency with apostolic truth. Russian Orthodoxy places a great emphasis on tradition. The concern for continuity and tradition, which is characteristic of Orthodoxy, does not imply worship of the past as such, but rather a sense of identity and consistency with the original apostolic witness, as realized through the sacramental community of each local church. The Holy Spirit, bestowed on the church at Pentecost, is seen as guiding the whole church "in all truth" (John 16:13).

Orthodoxy

Christianity is the dominant religion of Eastern Ukraine, represented mainly by the Russian Orthodox Church. While Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, or Russian Orthodox is the dominant church composing about 70% of all Orthodox believers in Ukraine; also represented are the Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev Patriarchate, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox churches. Until 1990 all of the country's Orthodox churches were part of the Ukrainian exarchate, which was subsidiary to the patriarchate (jurisdiction of the patriarch, or head) of the Russian Orthodox Church based in Moscow. In 1992 the Ukrainian Orthodox Church split into two rival denominations when the Kyivan patriarchate was formed, separating itself from the Moscow patriarchate. The autocephalous church, which was banned by the Soviet government in 1930, regained legal status in 1990.

Other Christian Groups

During the period of 1840 -1850 evangelical teaching began coming into Ukraine, primarily in three ways. First of all through settlements of German Mennonites who came the areas of Zaparozjya, Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk. A second way evangelical teaching influenced society during this time was through the rich aristocrats, who lived in St.-Petersburg and had their lands (property) in Ukraine. Living in St.-Petersburg they had an opportunity to hear the Gospel from the foreign visitors: Lord Redstock (England), Redstock (England), Professor Bettoks (Germany) and others. After their repentance in St.-Petersburg they may have brought Evangelical teaching to Ukraine. The third way this form of Christianity grew was through native average people, who accepted Christ through their own reading of God's Word.

Religious Practices/Ceremonies

The Orthodox Church places great emphasis on the sacraments. Baptism in the Orthodox Church marks the beginning of one's salvation, and only Orthodox baptism is considered true baptism. Other significant practices are found in the church, such as praying to saints, who are thought of as intercessors and protectors (they are believed to pray for the Orthodox believer just like Protestant believers pray for each other today). Mary is revered above all others because she, as the Mother of God, is the only one who most completely achieved the goal of theosis.

Orthodoxy is a very ritualistic religion filled with sights, smells, and sounds. Icons are thought of as "windows to the divine world" and play a major role in these rituals. They not only represent the person of their image, but actually are the essence of that person. In other words, when a person lights a candle, kisses, or says a prayer in front of an icon or relic, they are asking the help of that person to solve personal problems and achieve theosis.
Inseparable from the liturgical tradition, religious art is seen by Orthodox Christians as a form of pictorial confession of faith and a channel of religious experience. This central function of religious images (icons) unparalleled in any other Christian tradition received its full definition following the end of the iconoclastic movement in Byzantium (843).
Easter and Christmas are also celebrated widely and extensively in the church. The church celebrates a calendar of many religious events throughout the year such as the special day commemorating the Baptism of John, Trinity Day, and the Ascension, to name a few.

Religious Stability

The Orthodox church is exerting increasing control but will likely never gain the dominance seen in Russia or other countries. Overall stability in Ukraine is good, and perhaps higher than some of the other Slavic countries. As a general rule, most Evangelical churches experience little specific persecution and are even consulted at times on religious issues just like the Orthodox Church.