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Believers’ reasons to stick with the “Russian Church” in Ukraine after 2022

 

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 Ukraine, has faced declining membership, public scrutiny, and restrictive government policies. Since February 2022, UOC members have been under pressure from society, the media, and the authorities to change their affiliation to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which has grown since 2019 to capture the largest share of support in the country. Based on qualitative interviews conducted with UOC priests and parishioners in 2024, this lecture will provide insights into the mood within the “Russian Church” in Ukraine and its members’ (un)willingness to change their religious practices and affiliation against the backdrop of strong anti-Russian sentiment in Ukrainian society. The full report of the study is available at this link.

Andriy Fert holds a PhD in history from the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.” He is currently a lecturer in the Public History and Memory Studies Program and leads the Laboratory for the Study of Religion at the Kyiv School of Economics. His studies focus on religion in the Soviet period and religion’s role in memory processes.

 

 

Bohdan Bociurkiw Memorial Lecture | Annual Lectures