Keeping Faith: The Intersection of Religion and National Identity in Ukraine

While the majority of Ukrainians practice some form of Christian Orthodoxy, a minority of Ukrainians practice Ukrainian Greek-Catholicism, a denomination that combines Byzantine religious rite, Catholic faith, and Ukrainian culture. Its unique Ukrainian national identity and faith are a stark refutation of Vladimir Putin’s denial of the existence of the Ukrainian nation. 

Putin’s undermining of Ukrainian legitimacy has strong echoes of Soviet-era suppressions that also targeted the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and forced it underground for decades. Today, the collective memory of Soviet suppression is vivid for Ukrainian Greek-Catholics. 

The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church has mobilized to support all Ukrainians, from military chaplains providing sacraments and spiritual support to soldiers on the battlefield, to nuns and Ukrainian Greek-Catholic relief groups providing housing and humanitarian aid for internally displaced people, to priests and scholars fearlessly proclaiming Ukrainian independence. This project investigates the connection between Ukrainian national and religious identity in the wake of the Russo-Ukrainian War.