Eastern European Studies Commons^™

"Terrorist Design" Of The Russian Federation In The Destruction Of Churches In Ukraine From 2014 To 2023, Valeriy Bulatov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article highlights issues related to the justification by the Russian Federation for the destruction of places of worship on the territory of Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2014. The ongoing war in Ukraine, which began with the annexation of eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014, has continued with a full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine. The proclamation by the President of Russia, Putin, regarding "Russian freedom" was presented in its entirety in the destruction of the civilian population of Ukraine, including children, the elderly, and pregnant women, which is being carried out to this day …

The Role Of The Wagner Group In The Russo-Ukrainian War, Erik Herbert Lohmus

CMC Senior Theses

The Wagner Group has emerged as one of the most prominent actors of the on-going Russo-Ukrainian war. Although Private Military Companies are banned by the Russian Constitution and Russian Criminal Code, Wagner has been able and permitted to operate all across the world as a foreign policy tool of the Russian state. However, Wagner’s use and employment in Ukraine has differed drastically compared to Syria, Central African Republic and Libya, as the group is employed in a more conventional capacity. With many of the Russian successes in the east of Ukraine attributable to Wagner, the financier of the group, Yevgeny …

Becoming One With The Revolution: A Scholarly Analysis Of The Everyday Life Of Soviet Citizens, Genesis Medina

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay………………………………...1

II. Primary Documents and Headnotes………...29

III. Textbook Critique……………………………...39

IV. New Textbook Entry…………………………..44

V. Bibliography………………………………….....26

In Double Jeopardy: For Ukrainian Orthodox Church, A War On Two Fronts, Geraldine Fagan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church faces trouble from its own government as well as its Russian brethren.

Effectiveness Of Media Tools Of The Ukrainian Chaplaincy In Times Of War, Oleksandr Kostiuk, Olena Predko, Denys Predko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The effectiveness of the media tools of the Ukrainian chaplaincy in war conditions is considered. It is substantiated that the extreme conditions of war favor the selection of quality candidates for the chaplain service and the integration of chaplaincy into the military structure. The chaplain’s work is not limited to spiritual care, but also focuses on the moral and psychological support of military personnel. The use of such social networks as Instagram and Tik-Tok as a new form of work for chaplains is being studied. The following common forms of work of chaplains in social networks were identified: keeping a …

"The War Factor" In The History Of The Late Protestantism In Ukrainian Lands Via The Policy Of The Russian Autocracy, Roman Sitarchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article explores the impact of war on the movements of late Protestantism on the territory of Ukraine. The study is based on the three largest Protestant denominations in Ukraine: Baptists, Pentecostals, and Adventists. Due to the refusal of the Protestants to do military service and fight with weapons, the Russian autocracy suppressed and created difficult conditions for believers of the Protestant denominations on the territory of Ukraine. Before the First World War, the refusal of Protestants to engage gave the state an argument for why the Protestants were not reliable members of society. This study uses as a basis …

Analysis Of Letters From Representatives Of Religious Bible Student Groups (Badaczy Pisma Świętego) In Poland During The Nazi Occupation, Roman Orlovskii, Denys Shpak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The founder and leader of the International Bible Students movement was Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916), an eminent religious figure, the first president of the Watch Tower Society. After his death, the denomination he created split into a number of communities: Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as various groups of Bible Students who refused to recognize the authority of the Watch Tower Society under the rule of subsequent presidents. The followers of these groups, who recognized only the works of Charles Taze Russell, lived in different countries of the world, including in Poland. There are practically no scientific works devoted to the …

Indestructability In The Fight Against Evil: The Theological View On The Russian-Ukrainian War, Hnat Mierienkov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article shows that the fight against evil, namely Russian aggression against the Ukrainian people, creates a unique concept of “indestructibility.” The appearance of the term “invincibility” in the theological world, as a rule, is associated with the side of goodness and freedom. The Russian Federation has shown in the 21st century aggression unprecedented in its scale, including the desire to appropriate foreign territory, the bombing of peaceful territories and civilians, the distortion of faith, religion, and ideology to achieve goals by military means, etc. As a result, in the theological world of Ukraine, this phenomenon was called “evil.” That …

Sacralization Of The Image Of The Armed Forces Of Ukraine, Petro Kotliarov, Mariia Ovchar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article offers a multifaceted analysis of the phenomenon of the sacralization of the image of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), aimed at an in-depth understanding of the influence of the Armed Forces on society and national consciousness in the context of the Russian- Ukrainian war. Sacralization implies the inoculation/infusion of holiness, of a religious or supernatural nature, into institutions or symbols, and in this context, it is studied how this process affects the perception and support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ukrainian society. The article analyzes the role of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during military …

Brief Observation Of The General Trajectory Of Western Media Coverage Of The Religious Situation In Ukraine, Petro Livak, Daniil Palij

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article attempts to analyze the general trajectory of Western media coverage of the religious environment in Ukraine. Recently, the religious situation in Ukraine has become one of the strategic issues of national security, since it is relevant and important in the light of not only the religious, but also the political context of Ukraine. The study examines the journalistic activity of Western publications about the religious transformations of Ukraine from 2019 to 2023. This encompasses the intensity of the rapid confessional changes in Ukraine, the style of the journalistic text under study, the intensity of their media representation, and …

The Position Of Ukrainian Protestants Regarding The War In Ukraine: Rebuttal Of False Accusations Of Eurasianism, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article analyzes the position of Ukrainian Protestants in relation to the issue of the war between Russia and Ukraine. The position of Professor Pavlo Pavlenko was taken as a basis, who, in most of his publications, claims that the Protestants of Ukraine are pro-Russian, pro-Eurasian, and take a position that is contrary to the national interests of Ukraine. It is proven by the example of the analysis of publications and statements of Ukrainian Protestants that the protection of the national interests of Ukraine after 2014 has become part of their religious culture. The article shows on the example of …

Post-Soviet History Of Jehovah's Witnesses In Ukraine: From A Closed Sect To An Open Denomination, Vita Tytarenko, Liudmyla Fylypovych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article considers the changes that have taken place in the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) from the time of the USSR to today, when believers and their communities are having to fit into new historical circumstances. In peacetime JW occupied a relatively insignificant niche in the structure of religious life of Ukraine, overcoming the wary and sometimes openly negative attitude of the state, society, and other religious communities, formed by the Soviet regime. After 2014 JW are more and more confidently declaring their presence in Ukrainian society. Those who survived persecution and deportation during the Soviet era are regaining their rights …

Hope Channel Ukraine As "The Spiritual Front": Mediatization Of Religion In The War Against Ukraine, Maksym Balaklytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Hope Channel Ukraine (Nadiia TV in Ukrainian) claims to be “the first Christian TV channel in Ukraine.” During the Russian invasion of 2022, its main innovation was the “All-Ukrainian HOPE Marathon” program. It is a live program that is being aired from February 28 to June 22 in morning and evening blocks of one and a half hours. For the first months, the Marathon was broadcast daily without a day off. Since September, it has been aired twice a week under the title “Spiritual Front.” “All-Ukrainian HOPE Marathon ”became the largest live project of Hope Channel Ukraine during its conventional …