Protestantism in Ukraine: Achievements and Losses

Evangelical transformation: Learning the three‐dimensional perception of reality

“…Ukraine, on the contrary, applied some of the most pluralistic religious politics compared to other previous Soviet states (Lyubashchenko, 2010; Plokhy, 2002; Wanner, 2004, 2007). Not only is there no state religion in the country but the Ukrainian government also did not make alliances with any major religious denomination, despite the fact that this was common practice in former Soviet republics (Lankauskas, 2008; Plokhy, 2002; Wanner, 2007).…”

“…These measures have resulted in the declaration and ban of Jehovah's Witnesses as an extremist organization and the "Yarovaya Package" of 2016, which officially is meant to fight terrorism but in reality, is a tool actively enforced against Protestants. 5 Ukraine, on the contrary, applied some of the most pluralistic religious politics compared to other previous Soviet states (Lyubashchenko, 2010;Plokhy, 2002;Wanner, 2004Wanner, , 2007. Not only is there no state religion in the country but the Ukrainian government also did not make alliances with any major religious denomination, despite the fact that this was common practice in former Soviet republics (Lankauskas, 2008;Plokhy, 2002;Wanner, 2007).…”

“…It was an advantageous period for all kinds of religious denominations and spiritual movements. The Baptists enjoyed the legalization of formerly restricted church activities including the arrival of foreign missionaries, the return of underground churches, and active believers returning from prison (Lyubashchenko, 2020). As a result, "in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was an average year-on-year increase of 15-20 per cent in the membership of Baptist, Adventist and Pentecostal communities in Ukraine" (Lyubashchenko, 2010, 271).…”

“…6 Yet, this is just one side of the picture. Since Ukrainian independence, the number of all Protestant believers has remained more or less stable at about 1-3 percent of the population, including Protestantism at large, while Ukrainian Baptists are losing ground to other evangelicals (Lyubashchenko, 2010). The Ukrainian Baptist movement has experienced several problems, one of which is constant emigration beginning in the end of the 1980s.…”

“…During the Soviet period, Baptists made up the vast majority of evangelicals. The religious revival boom in Ukraine, as in the whole Soviet Union, started during perestroika (Lyubashchenko, 2010). It was an advantageous period for all kinds of religious denominations and spiritual movements.…”