One of the biggest differences between Eastern and Western Europe is the role of the church. On paper, they are separate, but in Eastern Europe, tradition trumps the law and the influence of the church is immense. In Ukraine, the church is the most trusted institution, which is a good thing, but the fact that one of its strongest branches openly sympathizes with Russia means that the secular world can’t choose to ignore this issue any longer.
Ukrainian religious life is best known for its division between the Kyiv and Moscow Patriarchates. The split took place in 1992 on the grounds that an independent country should have its own church. Since then, there were numerous attempts to unify the church from the inside but the ideological differences seemed too wide. The Kyiv Patriarchate was known for its strong pro-Ukrainian position, while the Moscow Patriarchate was seen as a supporter of “Russkiy mir” ideology (Russian world) and unity between Russia and Ukraine. This stereotypical division was confirmed by the church’s reaction to the Euromaidan and the subsequent Donbas war.
