More than 42% of Ukrainians believe that the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine has been destabilizing the country. As for their rallies outside the Verkhovna Rada, more than 40% also see such manifestations as “an attempt by internal and external forces to destabilize Ukraine.”
That’s according to the latest survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
In the survey, respondents were also asked to compare the OCU and the ROCinU on eight different features, both positive and negative. Those polled had to answer which of the Churches best met a certain characteristic.
More respondents associated the OCU with such features as flexibility to respond to changes in society (54% vs 14% who chose the ROCinU), promoting unification of society (53% vs 13%), proximity to ordinary people (50% vs 13%), assistance in fighting COVID-19 (34% vs 6%), and independence from Ukrainian or foreign politicians, oligarchs (33% vs 13%);
At the same time, more respondents associated the ROCinU with such features as dependence on foreign organizations (35% vs 24% who referred to the OCU), attempts to destabilize Ukraine (42.5% vs 21%), and corruption (38% vs 8%).
Some 41% of respondents said that the street protests of ROCinU supporters were in fact an attempt by forces inside and outside Ukraine to destabilize the country. Among the ROCinU supporters, 42% consider the rallies a protest against oppression, while 16% see it as destabilization (the rest remain undecided).
It should be recalled that on June 15, ROCinU believers and members of the Myriany NGO rallied outside the Verkhovna Rada and the President’s Office to complain about bills on renaming the pro-Russian church. The ROCinU explained that they had rallied “for the sake of religious peace” and against the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew. The Myriany NGO, affiliated with the ROCinU, told reporters they belonged to the Moscow Patriarchate, while standing “against renaming the UOC.”
Military and political expert Oleksandr Kovalenko is convinced that the Myriany of the ROCinU will be trying to destablize the country in line with the “Montenegrin scenario”.
On June 30, ROCinU followers rallied outside the Verkhovna Rada, calling for Ukraine’s unification with Russia. The event was led by a Pochaiv-based priest with the Moscow Patriarchate.
