The Religious Roots of the War in Ukraine

Many observers have been surprised that this war has a religious dimension. Yet its roots lie in the intertwined but separate religious histories of Ukraine and Russia.
Written by Heather J. Coleman. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Svetlana Ter-Grigoryan, Laura Seeger, and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at origins.osu.ed....
This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

[@frankschaeffer8153]

It's not true that historical religious conflict is at the root of the current war. It's simply one former Soviet Republic that considers itself to be the continuation of the USSR trying to keep its dominance over a neighboring former Soviet Republic. There are also political-religious aspects but they are most certainly not at the root of the war. In reality it's more like the change of the Ukrainian government and the Russian Federation's aggression from 2014 have had a strong impact on religious issues, deepening old and creating new problems.

[@BellicoseNation]

When the US and other powerful nations dominate the countries in its proximity, are they also carrying out USSR activity? Russia today is not the USSR and any similarity you can find could also be found in Ukraine. Putin has been in power for a quarter century, if he were wanting to rebuild the USSR, we would know it by now.

[@frankschaeffer8153]

@@BellicoseNation That sounds like whataboutism. I was writing about the RU-UA-USSR situation since I'm somewhat familiar with it. You can write about the US if you like, there are already plenty of treatises, not all by Kremlin stooges as of course one has good reason to be genuinely critical. To the point though: Putin himself has said numerous times that the fall of the USSR (not the founding of the USSR or the Soviet & proxy mass murders) was the most unfortunate event of recent history. While the cult of the USSR never really went away in RU, Putin brought it back in force. Imagine Germany did something similar: Hoisting the svastika, glorifying Hitler, Himmler, Dirlewanger even... naming units after them, monuments... Few would even pause to think before making their diagnosis. But *somehow* magically it isn't clear in the case of RU. I think that a hundred years of communist subversion have had an effect that can hardly be overstated.

[@Signaman-z9d]

These difference religious groups are more like political parties.✌️

[@robertmarko6115]

Very well done and accurate introduction to the situation

[@OriginsOSU]

Thank you. We're glad you enjoyed the video.

[@gregoryoleynik3698]

We are all under God's spiritual jurisdiction .

[@voreshbo7031]

Amen

[@SledgeDroog]

🎉😢😢🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😢

[@bobbyperry-u5s]

That god from the Middle East. Well how do you like it now?

[@daniel8728]

WRONG! Ukraine was Not a nation seperate from Russia. Eastern Ukraine has been Orthodox for 1,000 years!

[@joythought]

Russian Orthodox Church is the KGB's fake church created in Moscow by the Communists to serve the USSR. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is Orthodox and has a direct line all the way back to Byzantium. It was not entirely overwhelmed by the KGB and was suppressed under the anti-Christian USSR.

[@espada_i_daga]

Kyiv patriarchate

[@daniel8728]

@@espada_i_daga There is no Kiev Patriarchate and hasn't been for centuries

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

​@@daniel8728Kuban is Ukraine

[@humanipulationnation]

True I believe Vladimir the Great took Christianity in around 950 in Kiev, the true Kievan Rus that were pagan and that migrated south from the Baltic via rivers and dispersed from there. Big move in history for two religions. That in itself gives Ukraine a claim to the true church, why pray towards Moscow when the church formed in Kiev? But Putin says they are the true Kievan Rus, so go figure. And Putin doesn’t want to lose any social control to the ole eastern bloc by separating. I’m used to separation of church and state, not a state church which resides in moscow. An independent church is fair for Ukraine and if we all are brothers than the relationship with Russia can only strengthen

[@IsabelEglitis]

Thank you very much for the explaation. The historical social+ political fragmentation/divisions in Ukraine mirror/reflects its religious fragmentation. This is sad to hear + see, because gospel states clearly what happens to. "a house DIVIDED within itself"........ The implosion of Ukraine is the very sad reality we must witness every day still in 2024. I pray, may God have mercy upon such a divided country/people. Amen!

[@espada_i_daga]

Ukraine united in self-defense against naZis