On April 20, an open discussion on the topic “Religious Organizations of Ukraine During the War: Examples of Cohesion and Risks for Stability” was held in the Metropolitan House museum at the Sophia of Kyiv National Reserve.
Religious experts discussed the impact of the war on Ukraine’s religious life and interfaith relations, the emergence of new dialogue spaces and, on the other hand, new areas of concern, as well as the contribution of religious communities to the defense efforts and their role in the future reconstruction of the country and liquidation of the consequences of war, reports the press service of the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnopolicies and Freedom of Conscience.
The head of the agency, Viktor Yelensky, reminded that war always aggravates religious feelings; at the same time, someone is faced with the question of how this became possible, how God allowed such tragedies and suffering. In this sense, scholars of the 20th century spoke about the impossibility of the ‘old theology’ after Auschwitz and Buchenwald; in this sense, those of the 21st century talk about theology after Bucha and Irpin atrocities. “In recent decades, there has been an almost universal decline of religious practices in Europe and North America and the parallel acquisition of religion as an identity marker, as a tool for achieving foreign policy goals, as a factor in international relations and global politics. During the war, religion again returns to its main meanings, becoming something that helps people to transcend everyday life with its horrors and challenges, remaining in the public space, it is much more entrenched in the space of human souls than in normal times,” said Viktor Yelenskyi. “When we talk about how religion served during the Russo-Ukrainian war, it often boils down to the service of religious organizations, to the enemy’s attempts to abuse religion, and to countering the aggressor’s attempts to manipulate religious feelings. But religion at the times of war is something immeasurably wider and deeper than organizations.”
Research by the Razumkov Center run this year demonstrated a significant increase in people’s demand for psychological support from the Church, for it to fulfill its essential mission. Hundreds or even thousands of clergymen, speaking in biblical language, stood in the breach for their land and their people. We can count the thousands of tonnes of humanitarian aid they delivered to different parts of the country, the number of evacuees, rehabilitated, recovered, and needy people who received support. But it is impossible to count how many people were healed and pulled out of the abyss of despair by the pastoral word and the very presence of their pastor. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the chaplainship in this war. Chaplains often find themselves by a soldier’s side at a moment when no one else is able to help them.
“The role of the Church, religious organizations, priests, and church leaders was at the forefront of providing aid, but some were unable to do so,” Viktor Yelenskyi said.
During the public discussion, the project “Religion on fire: Documenting Russia’s War Crimes against the Religious Communities of Ukraine” was presented, initiated in March 2022 by the Academic Religious Studies Workshop NGO and supported by public organizations and state institutions, including the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnopolicies and Freedom of Conscience.
From February 24, 2022 to February 24, 2023, as a result of the full-scale invasion, at least 415 religious buildings were destroyed. Among them are temples and prayer houses, chapels and roadside crosses, kingdom halls, synagogues, mosques, khachkars and memorials, as well as religious educational facilities. Among the damaged religious buildings, more than a hundred are either completely destroyed or have suffered severe damage and can no longer be used for religious services. At least 101 religious buildings suffered moderate damage, meaning that services can be held there only after repair work. As a result of hostilities, at least 13 religious buildings with the status of monuments of regional significance and five of national significance were affected.
The corresponding figures are not final, since many religious buildings are located in the occupied territories or in the front-line zone, so the final calculations will be made only after the complete de-occupation and demining of these territories.
Most of the religious buildings were damaged or destroyed in active hostility zones. More than 150 religious sites were affected in two regions – Donetsk (93) and Luhansk (62) – where fierce battles continue and front line cities are massively shelled.
Approximately half of the damaged religious buildings are run by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP). Numerous destruction of churches, deaths and injuries, kidnapping of priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) found no words of sympathy from the ROC and never became a reason to condemn the war of aggression.
With the onset of Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian cities, many religious buildings were opened to the population as bomb shelters, humanitarian aid distribution centers, and shelters for IDPs. However, despite their protected status, places of worship were as vulnerable to shelling as other civilian objects. Cynically covering up their imperial ambitions with theses about the “protection of Orthodoxy,” Russian troops hit Orthodox churches and other shrines of Ukraine’s religious communities.
