Ukraine.
Ukraine is an ancient Orthodox Christian land whose faith dates to the Baptism of Rus' in 988. Today it is home to one of the world's largest Orthodox populations, served chiefly by the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Orthodoxy in
Ukraine.
A living tradition — its history, its faithful, its sacred places.
The cradle of Slavic Orthodoxy
Ukraine occupies a foundational place in the history of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. According to the Russian Primary Chronicle, the definitive Christianization of Kievan Rus' took place c. 988, when Grand Prince Vladimir (Volodymyr) the Great was baptized in Chersonesus (Korsun) and ordered the baptism of his people in the Dnieper River at Kyiv. From Kyiv, the Byzantine rite spread across the East Slavic lands, establishing a Metropolitanate initially under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
From Kyivan Metropolis to modern jurisdictions
For centuries the Metropolis of Kyiv was a canonical territory of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 1686, it was transferred — amid political pressure — to the Patriarchate of Moscow, a transfer whose validity the Ecumenical Patriarchate has since reconsidered. Through the Soviet period, the Ukrainian Orthodox faithful endured severe persecution, the closure of parishes, and the martyrdom of clergy. After 1989 the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was re-established, and in 1992 a Kyivan Patriarchate emerged, though neither initially received universal canonical recognition.
The Tomos of 2019
On 5 January 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed the Tomos of Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), uniting the former Kyivan Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church into a single canonical body led by Metropolitan Epiphanius (Dumenko) of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The OCU is now recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Church of Greece, and the Church of Cyprus.
A second large body, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (historically linked to the Moscow Patriarchate), formally declared independence from Moscow after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. On 20 August 2024, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law "On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Field of Activities of Religious Organizations," effectively prohibiting religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church and setting a transition period for remaining parishes to sever Moscow ties.
A nation shaped by Orthodoxy
Orthodoxy remains the dominant religion and a central element of Ukrainian identity and culture. According to the Razumkov Centre's 2023 survey, roughly 61% of Ukrainians identify as Orthodox Christians, and Pew Research has estimated that Ukraine has the third-largest Orthodox population in the world, after Russia and Ethiopia. The liturgical heritage of Kyiv — its chant traditions, iconography, and architecture — continues to flourish in parishes, monasteries, and theological academies across the country, even amid the trials of war.
Primate of the OCU: Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine
Mother See: St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Kyiv
Liturgical languages: Ukrainian and Church Slavonic
Saints of
Ukraine.
2 venerated souls with ties to this land — fathers and mothers of the faith who are remembered here still.
Famous Orthodox churches and monasteries in Ukraine
The sacred architecture of Orthodox Ukraine — cathedrals, parishes, and the mountain monasteries that keep the lamps burning.
- Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv — Begun in the 11th century under Yaroslav the Wise and designed to rival Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the defining monuments of Kyivan Rus' Christianity.
- Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) — Founded in the mid-11th century by Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, this is the spiritual heart of Slavic Orthodox monasticism; its near and far caves preserve the incorruptible relics of more than 120 saints.
- Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra, Ternopil Oblast — A major pilgrimage center in western Ukraine, home to the miracle-working Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God presented to the monastery in 1597 by the noblewoman Anna Hoyska.
- Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Kyiv — Historic medieval foundation rebuilt after Soviet demolition; today the mother see and cathedral church of the primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
- Saint Andrew's Church, Kyiv — An 18th-century Baroque church on the site where, according to tradition, the Apostle Andrew blessed the hills of the future Kyiv; since 2018 it has been assigned to the Ecumenical Patriarchate's stavropegion in Ukraine.
- Svyatohirsk Lavra, Donetsk Oblast — A historic cave monastery on the Siverskyi Donets River, elevated to the dignity of a lavra in 2004 and a major eastern Ukrainian pilgrimage site.
Orthodoxy
kept here.
The shape of the faith as it is lived and prayed across Ukraine today.
Orthodoxy in Ukraine today is centered on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), an autocephalous Church that received its Tomos from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople on 5 January 2019. Under the leadership of Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the OCU brought together the former Kyivan Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. It maintains full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Church of Alexandria, the Church of Greece, and the Church of Cyprus.
A second large jurisdiction, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), historically operated as a self-governing Church within the Moscow Patriarchate. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its Council declared full independence from Moscow. In August 2024, Ukrainian law further restricted the activities of religious bodies affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, and hundreds of former UOC parishes have transitioned to the OCU in recent years.
The liturgical life of Ukrainian Orthodoxy is celebrated in both Church Slavonic and the Ukrainian language, the latter increasingly common in OCU parishes. In 2023, by decision of the Holy Synod of the OCU, the Church formally adopted the Revised Julian calendar for the fixed feasts, aligning the Nativity with 25 December (new style) while preserving the traditional paschalion for Pascha and its cycle.
Ukraine's Orthodox diaspora is substantial, with parishes across North America, Western Europe, and Australia. Many are gathered under the Ecumenical Patriarchate through the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and analogous exarchates, maintaining the rich Kyivan liturgical heritage of their homeland.
Asked
of this land.
Frequently asked questions about Orthodoxy in Ukraine
When did Ukraine become Orthodox Christian?
The Baptism of Rus' traditionally dates to c. 988, when Grand Prince Vladimir (Volodymyr) the Great accepted Byzantine Christianity and ordered the baptism of the people of Kyiv in the Dnieper River.
Which Orthodox Church is canonical in Ukraine?
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), led by Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, received its Tomos of Autocephaly from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on 5 January 2019 and is recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchates of Alexandria, and the Churches of Greece and Cyprus.
What happened to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate?
After Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church declared independence from Moscow. In August 2024, Ukraine adopted a law restricting the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, with a transition period for local parishes.
How many Orthodox Christians are there in Ukraine?
Surveys by the Razumkov Centre have found that roughly 61% of Ukrainians identify as Orthodox. Pew Research estimated around 35 million Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, historically the third-largest Orthodox population in the world.
What liturgical language is used?
OCU parishes increasingly celebrate the Divine Liturgy in modern Ukrainian, while Church Slavonic is also widely used. Both are traditional liturgical languages of the Kyivan tradition.
Does the OCU follow the Old or New Calendar?
In 2023 the Holy Synod of the OCU adopted the Revised Julian calendar for fixed feasts (so Nativity is celebrated on 25 December), while retaining the traditional Orthodox paschalion for Pascha.