ORTHODOX AND GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN WESTERN UKRAINE: 1939–1941

Abstract

The article analyzes the situation of the Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churches in Western Ukraine in 1939–1941, after the establishment of the Stalinist totalitarian regime in these lands. The religious picture in Western Ukraine was marked by a certain specificity due to the ethnic composition of the population. First of all, it concerned the Volyn region, where in the early 30s of the twentieth century lived almost 1.5 million Orthodox (69.8%), 327.9 thousand Roman Catholics (15.7%), 207.8 thousand Jews (10%) and 11.1 thousand Greek Catholics (0.5%). 1.4 million Roman Catholics, or 46.3%, lived in Lviv Voivodeship, 1.3 million Greek Catholics – 41.7%, 342.4 thousand Jews – 11% and only 9 thousand Orthodox – 0.3%. In Stanisław Voivodeship, the number of representatives of these denominations was: Roman Catholics – 246 thousand (16.6%), Greek Catholics – 1.1 million (72.9%), Jews – 139.7 thousand (9.5%) ), Orthodox – 0.9 thousand (0.1%), and in Ternopil region – respectively 586.6 thousand (36.7%), 872 thousand (54.5%), 134.1 thousand (8.4%), 1.9 thousand (0.1%). Thus, two thirds of the believers in Volyn were Orthodox, and the vast majority of believers in Eastern Galicia – Greek Catholics and Roman Catholics. Already in the autumn of 1939, the teaching of religion in schools was stopped, and special religious schools were closed. The clergy are not allowed to do clerical services in hospitals and prisons, or to serve several parishes. The confiscation of church and monastery property, which came under state control, was carried out. The confiscated lands were transferred to the newly created state farms and collective farms, and numerous buildings were used for secular purposes. Authorities restricted the public functions of the church in every possible way, in particular, in the spring of 1940 they transferred the registration of all acts of civil status to the NKVD. Soviet special services brutally massacred priests who refused to obey the regime; The spear of repression was directed against those members of the clergy who continued to conduct spiritual and religious activities in good faith and showed interest in social and political life. Lay people connected with the Ukrainian national movement, including well-known church and public figures, were also imprisoned.