Special Issue INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND July 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926
Manifestation of the religious factor in the Ukrainian socio-political crisis (2013-2014)
Vladimir Nikolaevich Rogatin1, Rinat Ahmetgalievich Nabiev. Kazan Federal University, Kremliovskaya str, 18, 420008, Kazan, Russian Federation.
Abstract: Ukrainian socio-political crisis involved different sectors of society, including religious organizations and religious leaders. The involvement of religious actors in political action has led to the politicization of religious organizations and the creation of a religious justification of protests and violence. Reasons for protests neither had religious background nor covered any religious matters. Despite this fact, Catholics, Baptists, neo-pagans and non-canonical Orthodox church became the leaders in actions of opposition politicians and public figures at the “Euromaidan”. Discussion related to the manifestation of the religious factor in the Ukrainian crisis is primarily focused on the issue of artificial or spontaneous attraction of the religious organizations and their leaders to these events. A high level of confidence of the Ukrainians in the religious leaders, which sometimes greatly exceeds the confidence in politicians and government, is due to that Ukrainian politicians consider religious organizations as a mean of influencing public opinion. Religious concepts justifying the violence of and protests against the regime of Viktor Yanukovych became particularly popular in the Ukrainian events, which contributed to the cultivation of violence among the “Euromaidan” participants.
Keywords: socio-political crisis, Euromaidan, Eurorevolution, religious organizations, church.
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Introduction A period of crisis is a time of maximum social instability, violations of its normal functioning processes, a large number of accidents, separation and conflict within the society. Being a part of society, religious organizations have been involved in the crisis too [1]. Modern socio- political crises differ substantially from the previous ones due to the possibility of their artificial construction in the form of color-coded revolutions. To understand this question it is necessary to consider the degree of participation of different organizations and their leaders in the Kiev protests, the time of joining these protests and the attitude of the religious leaders towards these events. 2. Methodological Framework The following tasks were set during the study: 1) to analyze the involvement of religious organizations in the socio-political crisis in Ukraine; 2) to find out which religious associations were more involved in the social opposition; and 3) to summarize the information on the manifestation of the religious factor in the socio-political conflict in Ukraine. To cover the topic, the major religious groups operating in Ukraine were distinguished and classified by the intensity of participation in the revolutionary process: Catholics, Protestants and the Protestant NRMs, Orthodox, Muslim, neo-pagans and NRM, and Jewish. 3. Results 1.Catholic Leaders in the protest movements were Catholics: Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) and the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Many of Ukrainian media reported that the clergy of the UGCC and RCC were agitating their congregations to go to Kiev yet back in the 20s of November 2013 in all churches and seminaries. It is therefore not surprising that the next day after the violent confrontation in Kiev, the clergy, seminarians and parishioners of the UGCC and RCC from various regions of Ukraine came to “Euromaidan” right on cue. The Catholics explained their actions in the article “Catholic revival”, the magazine “Katolicheskii Vestnik” (“Catholic Bulletin”), as follows: "Therefore, Ukrainian Roman- and Greco-Catholic clergy acted in direct response to what Pope used to say... in general, the entrance of clerics upon Euromaidan would be impossible without the blessing of church hierarchs” (Vikhrov, 2014). Based on the article, many of Catholics and believers treat “Euromaidan" as "Catholic revival" or “Eurorevival" and considered it both political and Christian action. Despite the initial aggressive mood of “Euromaidan”, the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine Thomas Edward Gullickson, the head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav Shevchuk, and the ex-leader of the UGCC Cardinal Liubomir Guzar of the Catholic Churches of Ukraine expressed their support [3]. Catholic support was expressed to “Euromaidan” not only morally, but also materially. Virtually from the very beginning of “Euromaidan”, there were meal stations organized by the international charitable Catholic organization "Caritas" and "Maltese service”. The Uniates also equipped a separate prayer tent where they served the prayer liturgy. In the same tent the Roman Catholic clergy served too. 2. Protestants and Protestant NRMs The second leader of the religious presence Protestants and Protestant NRMs. Baptists had a great influence due to the fact that one of the leaders of the protests was the political and religious leader (a preacher, by his own words) Aleksandr Turchinov. December 5, the pastor of a Baptist organization "New Life" Oleg Magdych and the Vice- Rector for Public Relations of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (Kiev) Oles Dmitrenko erected "an interfaith prayer tent" in the Independence Square (Cherenkov, 2015) [5]. It http://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/index Page 469
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is interesting, that the “Euromaidan” leadership allowed only this and the Catholic tent to operate in the area occupied by the protesters. The followers of the Baptist organization “Almaz” were also active at the Maidan. Every Saturday and Sunday, their community visited “Euromaidan”. The head of the Ukrainian Council of Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists, Vyacheslav Nesteruk tried to explain political neutrality. He said on behalf of Ukrainian Baptists that they always try to be apolitical. Immediately after his statement, the religious teachers of the Baptist theological schools submitted an open letter. They stressed in their letter that the interview by V. Nesteruk is his personal opinion only; the petition was signed by 11 pastors. After that, this interview was removed from the Baptist online resource [6]. Further, the attitude of the different Protestant and neo-Protestant NRMs has become more moderate in official documents: "We condemn the false, abuse of power and strength, which resulted in violence from all sides of social and political confrontation”. This petition was signed by 9 leaders of all-Ukrainian association: Baptists, neo-Pentecostals, Adventists, Pentecostals, and Lutherans. Nevertheless, the pastors of different organizations continued to participate in the “Euromaidan” activities and even in the clashes with the police, and their organization followers were even in the ranks of the "Right Sector" (banned in Russia). Participation of the neo-Pentecostals in “Euromaidan” cannot be compared with the events of 2004, however, they also happened to take part. For instance, Pastor of the NRM “Novoe Pokolenie” (“New Generation”) (Kiev), Iurii Shmuliar helped to strengthen the barricades of the protesters in Khreshchatyk (the main street of the Ukrainian capital). The pastor of the Christian Social Center (CSC) “Novoe Vremia” (“New Time”) and member of the Apostolic Council “Posolstvo Bozhie” (“Embassy of God”) Andrei Kuksenko constantly attended “Euromaidan" and took an active part in its activities [7]. Neo-Pentecostals have scant popularity at “Euromaidan”: in ecumenical prayer tent there was a poster asking not to pray in languages and not to pray loudly, which was specifically for neo- Pentecostals. While street "preachers" of “Golos Bozhii” (“Voice of God”) under the Kyiv Municipal State Administration (KMSA) were promptly stroke down by the "Maidan self-defense service”. This was due to the occurred severe religious competition. 3. Orthodox "Euromaidan" was immediately supported by the followers of the non-canonical (unrecognized by the world Orthodoxy) Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP). It happened because the UOC-KP has positioned itself as a conspicuously "Ukrainian" church and has always been in the zone of influence of the pro-Western "democratic" political forces. According to sociological ratings, most faithful supporters of the opposition parties are parishioners of the UOC-KP. They accounted for 38% of the “Svoboda” supporters, and 34% and 35% of those of “Batkivshchyna” and “Udar”, respectively. Two events described the position of the UOC-KP most eloquently. The first was that in the morning of November 30, 2013 some of protesters hid within the walls of St. Michael's Cathedral of the UOC-KP and freely spend the night right in the church. From a political perspective, the same expressive gesture was an appeal by the head of UOC-KP Filaret and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the US Senate with a request for “effective promotion” of association of Ukraine with the EU. Thus, the UOC-KP at “Euromaidan" showed once again its political position and loyalty to the pro-Western political parties. This action could not worsen the already poor relations between UOC-KP and the regime of Viktor Yanukovych, but increased the chances of favor of the new authorities in the case of “Euromaidan" victory.
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Following the UOC-KP, the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) expressed his support too. The representatives of non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (UOC of USA) also made a lodgment at “Euromaidan”. The “Euromaidan”- established “Religious Board” involved “Archbishop of Vinnitsa of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, Stefan (Negrebetskii), however, he signed as "Archbishop" of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Participation of Stefan (Negrebetskii) in the protests was due to his party and political affiliation: he is the first deputy of the “Social Christian Party”. After such support to “Euromaidan” by the heads of the non-canonical Orthodox churches, a series of nonresident and active clergy simply flooded the Maidan. A group of clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), who sympathized with “Euromaidan", the so-called autocephalous wing of Metropolitan Aleksandr (Drabinko) made a lodgment at “Euromaidan” [8]. This group supported the protests, despite the fact that the clerics of the UOC-KP and UOC of USA called for the liquidation of the UOC-MP. 4. Islamic Islamic movement at “Euromaidan” was represented by the Alraid members, who actively participated under the flags of Syrian anti-Bashar “democratic opposition” (i.e., Syrian rebel groups). Unlike other spiritual directorates of Muslims, “Alraid" is registered as a "social" rather than "religious" organization. At “Euromaidan” they told how well the life of Muslims in Germany and Holland is, and the can be in Ukraine after European integration [9]. Through its Internet resources, the Alraid member also distributed a video address in support of “Euromaidan" by the representative of the Chechen separatists in France (the so-called "ambassador of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in France”) Musa Taipov, titled as "Address to the people of Ukraine”. Mufti Said Ismagilov, being in relationship with the Ikhwans from “Alraid" SDMU "Ummah", criticized the political activities of Yanukovych, read lectures on the history of Islam in Ukraine in the framework of the activity of the “Maidan Open University". In his on-air interview to “Hromadske TV” he expressed his support to the protesters and “Euromaidan" leaded by the Religious Board. SDMU "Ummah" declared its statement on the 2nd December 2013, where condemned the use of force against the demonstrators (Yarosh, 2015). December 3, 2013, a statement by the leader of the most numerous and influential organization of the Ukrainian Muslims, Mufti of Crimean Muslims Emirali Ablaev, respected by many Crimean Tatars, was made. Mufti expressed his support for the European integration course of Ukraine. After an unsuccessful assault of “Euromaidan" by "Berkut”, Mufti Emirali Ablaev called for burying the “Eurorevolution" heroes right in the Independence Square in Kiev [11]. The media drew special attention to the distribution of a methodological guide to revolutionary action in Egypt at “Euromaidan", translated into Ukrainian and looked identically, which raised concerns about the participation of radical Muslims in the “Euromaidan” activities. 5. Neo-Pagans and NRMs As for the neo-pagans, despite their inherent anti-Christian discourse, they quite freely settled at “Euromaidan" and even establish a pagan idol inside the captured KMSA building. Also, a tent of “Kult Ra” was erected in the Maidan with the banner “from the Carpathians to Sakhalin" - a mobile meal station of the ethnic food restaurant “Russkii Klub Kult RA". Near the “Euromaidan” headquarter one could every day see a middle-aged man with the banner crowned with a shining brass trident in the solar circle - the main symbol of Native Ukrainian National Faith (NUNfaith). Every day, nearly an hour before the time of the evening communal prayer of Christians, a prayer of the NUNfaith adherents - "chanting to native gods for freedom and happiness of the Ukrainian people” - was held. According to experts, the Silenko’s
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neo-pagan doctrine is an anti-Christian ideology that professes the ideal of the superman, super- nation, and is characterized by religious intolerance. The leader of the Zhitomir neo-pagan association “Velikii Ogon” “The Great Fire”) magician Gennadii Botseniuk (Prince Ogin) positioned himself at “Euromaidan” as "spiritual father" of the radical organization “Belyi Molot” (“White Hammer”), which then became a separate self-titled hundred at “Euromaidan" [12]. "Euromaidan" became a springboard for the implementation of Igor Didkovskii’s neo-pagan ideas. Igor Didkovskii is the author of the idea of establishing in Kiev a spiritual educational dominant “Gorod v gorode” (“City within a city”) - "Rodovid Grad", which should become a magnet of the Ukrainian spirit and include the evolutionary-civilizational Parliament "RODOVID Center”. During public unrest, he became the leader and patron of the radical hundred "Vikings" [13]. Wotanists, better known as “Misanthropic Division”, also participated in “Euromaidan”. The motto of this ultra-right neo-pagan group – "Kill for Wotan" (Ger. “Toten für Wotan”) [14]. This race sect (founded by David Lane) is named for the supreme deity of the ancient Germans beliefs – Wotan, also known as Odin, the lord of warrior hosts. The Ukrainian followers of Junsei Terasawa, neo-Buddhist Monk Order “Nipponzan Myōhōji” also did not let aside. Their presence in the Maidan was immediately noticed: funny and unusual for Ukraine Buddhists with tambourines in hand, praying for peace in Ukraine at the Maidan. 6. Jewish In post-Soviet countries, as well as the in Ukraine, the Jewish communities are oriented primarily on the loyalty to the central government (the president), coming in conflict with the social and national protest movements. This identity is typical of the majority of Ukrainian Jewish communities, especially among the older generation of Jews in Ukraine (Smilianskaya, 2015). Therefore, after the crackdown by Berkut on the night of November 30, 2013 at the city center, only one of the 15-20 All-Ukrainian Jewish Organizations (Vaad of Ukraine) has condemned the use of force by the regime of Yanukovych. The protest actions of “Euromaidan" involved the liberally-oriented Jewish organizations and Jewish leaders. For example, “Euromaidan” was attended by Iosif Zisels, chairman of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities (Vaad) of Ukraine, Rabbi Hillel Cohen of the Podol synagogue, and Igor Golfmann giving the lectures of "Jewish heritage of Ukraine”. 4. Discussions "Euromaidan" had no religious basis, and the requirements brought to Viktor Yanukovych had no relation to religion or religious life of the Ukrainian religious organizations. At the same time, the mass participation of religious organizations in the protests and speeches of their leaders at “Euromaidan”, the statements about disobeying the regime of Viktor Yanukovych and the prayer tents indicate their immediate interests in these protests (Balaklytskyi, 2015). In this connection, the scientific community has raised a question about the artificial involvement of the religious factor in the occurred conflict, rather than its spontaneous nature. 5. Conclusion Having considered the participation and motivation of the leaders of the major religious organizations in the Ukrainian protests we can conclude that the religious organizations had become a kind of facade of protests, which was intended to show their support by the society. The importance of the presence of religious organizations in the protest events for politicians was caused by two main factors. Firstly, the religious organizations, according to sociological polls, are the leaders of trust among the population of Ukraine, i.e. people trust them more than politicians and
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government. Secondly, the participation of various religious leaders is an indicator of support for Eurointegrators by different segments of society, that gave the global nature to the protests. Religious protest discourse, which was in the period of socio-political crisis: special prayers, “prophecies" and religious beliefs allow speaking about the exploitation of religious ideas to justify protests, confrontation with the police and the regime of Yanukovych. In this connection, the religious leaders kept an anti-state discourse of sermons and speeches. However, when they began to talk about the peace, forgiveness and reconciliation from the stage of Maidan, they were immediately isolated therefrom. This atmosphere naturally contributed to the formation of the cult of violence. The confrontation in Hrushevskoho Street started right on the Christian holiday “Baptism of Jesus”, and the ultra-right group "Right sector" named its action in social networks as "Bloody water consecration". Further radicalization of “Euromaidan" pushed aside the liberal activists and clerics, who initially attended it, by pointing to their powerlessness and weakness, and opened more space for ideologies and beliefs to justify "righteous anger" or violence. 6. Acknowledgements The work is performed according to the Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University.
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