The Religious situation in Ukraine and it’s influence on the establishment and development of military-religious relations in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (1991–2017) (original) (raw)
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Вісник Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка. Державне управління, 2023
B a c k g r o u n d. This article examines the influence of religious organizations in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war and analyzes their activities in resisting Russian aggression. Considering the importance of socio-religious relations in crises, this article reveals new aspects of the activity of religious organizations in Ukraine. The purpose of this study is to analyze the activities of religious organizations on Ukraine's territory during the Russian Federation's military aggression. Tasks include the analysis of socio-religious relations in the context of war, the study of humanitarian and peace-making activities of religious organizations, and proposals for forming state policy in the sphere of socio-religious relations. The object of the research is the activity of religious organizations on the territory of Ukraine in the conditions of military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The research focuses on the influence and role of religious organizations in resisting the Russian occupation, particularly in the analysis of socio-religious relations during the Russian-Ukrainian war. In the study context, two main areas of activity of religious organizations are considered-humanitarian and peacekeeping. The main task is the study of the influence of these organizations on public resistance to the aggressor, as well as the formation of proposals for the development of state policy mechanisms in socio-religious relations. M e t h o d s. This study uses an analytical approach, structural analysis and empirical methods. The analytical approach is used to analyze socio-religious relations and their impact on the situation in the conditions of military aggression. The structural analysis allows us to investigate religious organizations' humanitarian and peace-making activities. Empirical methods are used to collect and analyze factual data regarding the role of religious organizations in opposing the aggressor. The case study method or the method of specific situations was used to study specific cases of successful activities of religious organizations in crises. R e s u l t s. Analyzing the activities of religious organizations, it was found that they play an essential role in public resistance to the aggressor. Religious organizations are actively engaged in humanitarian and peacekeeping activities, assisting internally displaced persons, evacuated citizens, and informing the world about Russian aggression. C o n c l u s i o n s. The study confirms the importance of public mobilization and humanitarian activities of religious organizations in crises. In order to achieve successful results in the fight against the enemy, the state must promote the development of religious activities and provide conditions for their humanitarian and peacekeeping work. This article can be helpful for teachers and students of courses in political science, sociology, cultural studies, religious sociology, security and conflict studies who are interested in the study of socio-religious relations, public resistance in crises and the role of religious organizations in conflicts. K e y w o r d s : religion; church; socio-religious relations; religious organizations; Russian-Ukrainian war.
Military and Alternative (Non-Military) Service of Religious Citizens in Ukraine
Kościół i Prawo
The article considers the essence of the proper legal regulation of the military and alternative (non-military) services of religious citizens in Ukraine, which has gained a new relevance in the background of the another stage of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The right to replace the military service with an alternative one, its legal regulation, and the possible enhancement of such regulation are the subject of a full-scaled analysis. The article identifies the issues of the implementation of the right to freedom of conscience in military service in the modern state of war conditions and changes in the religious map of Ukraine. Conclusions were made on the need to preserve the institution of alternative service and the establishment of a full-fledged institution of military chaplaincy.
War and Religion: Views from Within Ukraine’s ‘Russian’ Church
ZOiS Report 6, 2024
Russia’s war against Ukraine has changed Ukraine’s religious landscape. Due to its ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), once the biggest Christian denomination in the country, has faced declining membership, public scrutiny and restrictive government policies. This report focuses on the perspectives of rank-and-file UOC members regarding public disapproval of their church. Based on qualitative interviews conducted with priests and parishioners in nine parishes in 2024, it provides insights into the mood within the UOC and its members’ (un)willingness to change their religious practices and affiliation against the backdrop of growing anti-Russian sentiment in Ukrainian society
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 2022
The relevance of the study is provided by the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, more specifically, the hybrid nature of the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine since 2014. The use of information technologies along with military force, among other things, provides for the involvement of the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate as an additional tool for the spread of destructive ideological influence in Ukraine. Attention to the non-religious influence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on Ukrainian society is being updated against the background of the ideological confrontation between the Russian and Ukrainian worldview systems in the religious plane. The article presents the factors initiating the distribution of the Orthodox Patriarchate in independent Ukraine, highlights the elements of fundamental differences for Ukraine between the Orthodox Church of the Ukraine (OCU) and the UOC-MP, and considers the actual ways to eliminate problems associated with the functioning of the UOC-MP in Ukraine during the current Russian-Ukrainian war. In addition, some facts of collaborationism carried out by representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine since the annexation of Crimea and the territories of Donbass since 2014 have been studied. A parallel is drawn between the facts of cooperation with the invaders during the full-scale war of 2022 and the statements of Russian priests who give a public assessment of Russian military operations in Ukraine.
Challenges of religious situation in Ukraine
2019
Development of the religious situation in Ukraine in the context of potential securitization and politicization of Orthodoxy, reduction of religious pluralism and growth of conservative attitudes
Aspects of the Religious Situation in Ukraine
Religion, State and Society, 2001
During my stay in Kiev in May 1999 the political elite was shaken by the news that Patriarch Filaret (Denisenko), leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP), had been assaulted when visiting Maryupil' in the Donets'k region on 30 April. The arrival of this patriarch, who had been anathematised by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), had been met with many well-organised protests mounted by clergy and laypeople of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). These protests had ended up in a brawl on a plot of land which Filaret had come to consecrate for the building of a new church. The few security guards present were unable to shield the head of the UOC-KP from physical contact with the noisy Maryupil' protesters, who first emptied a bucket of 'holy' water over his head and then started to beat him over the head with it. In the process they tore off his klobuk and panagiya and broke his crozier. This event evinced such a strong reaction because it rekindled memories of the fears many had expressed several years ago that a religious war might erupt in Ukraine. The religious situation in Ukraine is radically different from that in Russia. The main difference is that in Ukraine there is no single confession with a monopoly on the spiritual nurture of an historically Orthodox population. There are three 'pure' Orthodox churches rivalling for the souls of Ukrainians: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) which according to figures dated I January 1999 has 7911 parishes, 6568 priests and 105 monasteries'; the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP) which has 2178 parishes, 1743 priests and 17 monasteries; and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) which has 1022 parishes, 543 priests and 2 monasteries. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), also known as the Uniate Church, has 3198 parishes, 2161 priests and 73 monasteries. This church submits to the authority of the Vatican, but has preserved the Orthodox Byzantine rite. The Roman Catholic Church has also retained a presence in Ukraine, which has increased significantly in recent years, with 751 parishes, 401 priests and 33 monasteries. Protestantism has become widespread in Ukraine, with 4870 registered communities: this denomination has also recently become a political force. The complex religious situation in Ukraine means that Kiev is unable to control * A shorter version of this article was originally published as 'Nekotoryye aspekty religioznoi situatsii na Ukraine',
Analysis of the Multi-Confessional Religious Situation in Ukraine in the Period from 2000 to 2021
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
Annotation This study summarizes information regarding features of religious and church-religious selfdetermination of citizens of Ukraine for the period 2000-2021. Ukraine's Western region is traditionally characterized by a high level of religiosity, while the South and East of Ukraine are the least religious. In recent years, the proportion of citizens who do not identify themselves with any of the religions has increased. There is a significant difference between the level of declared religiosity and identification with a particular religious community. As a result of the military events in the East of Ukraine and the war with Russia, the number of believers and Orthodox churches of the Moscow Patriarchate has significantly decreased, while the number of Orthodox Churches of the Kyiv Patriarchate has increased. After receiving Tomos from the Patriarch of Constantinople on December 15, 2018, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine gained more authority in society. However, relations between the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are characterized by the great tension and conflict, which is expressed at the level of individual communities. Some problems arose during the creation of a unified Orthodox Church in Ukraine, but they did not become critical and did not affect the religious situation as a whole. Only 10% of citizens regularly attend religious services and meetings. The decline in attendance at religious services during the COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by an increase in parishioner participation via the Internet. Leading churches have a positive attitude towards the use of the latest technologies and instant messengers. The article presents the results of surveys of focus groups. One of these polls testifies to the desire of believers to have changes in terms of religious rituals, in particular, the reduction of time, the understandable language of services and sermons, the introduction of seating in Orthodox churches, or a more modest decoration of churches. However, it has been established that for the growth of temple attendance, it is important not so much to develop a network of places of worship, but to form the interest and motivation of people to visit temples. Unfortunately, the level of recognition of the moral authority of the Church is lower than the level of trust in it. Citizens believe that the largest Ukrainian Churches in their approach to the problems of LGBT communities and other complex issues often take a conservative position that does not meet the requirements of the time, rather than an active position that contributes to solving social problems. Social service and assistance to people, according to the majority of respondents, should occupy a leading place in the activities of the Church. The greatest demand was for psychological assistance and protection of vulnerable groups. The overwhelming majority support the assertion that the Church should be separated from the state and the school from the Church. There is a high level of tolerance among citizens
Kalenychenko T. and Brylov D. Ukrainian Religious Actors After Russian Invasion. Policy Brief
This Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Diplomacy policy brief analyzes Ukraine’s religious context, the range of responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 from across the spectrum of religious groups in the country, and the obstacles to and opportunities for Ukrainian religious contributions to peacebuilding. The report concludes with recommendations for how governments and civil society organizations in the international community can engage with Ukrainian religious and non-religious actors to foster a constructive response to the war.
Russian Church and Ukrainian War
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The war in Ukraine that began in February 2014 and escalated in February 2022 to the extent unseen in Europe since the World War II, cannot be adequately comprehended without taking into consideration its religious dimension. This article explores the evolution of the “Russian world” ideology, which the leaders and speakers of the Russian Orthodox Church render in quasi-theological terms. It explains why the Russian patriarch Kirill decided to back it and turned it from an elitist to mass ideologeme. These explanations are given in the sociological framework of the public space, social contract, and civil religion. The main argument of the article is that the church wanted to regain for itself a central place in the Russian public square after the decades of exile from it under the Communist regime. In result of supporting the war, however, the church is endangered to be marginalised in this square again.