Deep roots in history: The Russia–Ukraine clash

THE UKRAINIAN CHURCH
Ukraine, the name of which is hypothesized to stem from "U" (at) + "Krai" (border) meaning "borderland" in Proto-Slavic, is one of the oldest settled regions in human history. Slavs became more active in the region with the decrease of local Germanic populations in the 5th century, when Slavs began to found their own principalities. Christianity was introduced to the region by the conversion of Olga of Kiev, wife of the Kievan Prince Igor, in the 9th century. Olga is venerated as a saint by the Kievan church. After Kievan Prince Vladimir the Great converted to Christianity to marry the Byzantine Princess Anna in 988, the religion spread even more among Slavs. In Kiev, churches were made in honor of Saint Basil while pagan temples were destroyed.

Vladimir, via agreement with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, founded the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus in Kiev. The Patriarchate of Constantinople had the right to appoint the metropolitan who governed the newfound metropolis. But after some time the church was moved to Moscow from Kiev. After the last Russian Patriarch. who carried the title of the metropolitan of Kiev, Metropolitan Jonas, moved the church permanently to Moscow, the city became the center of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1448, the Russian metropolitanate made the decision to operate independently of Istanbul. The "see" (office) of the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus was transferred to the Moscow Patriarchate in 1886. In the past few months the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has begun cooperating with the Fener Patriarchate to become independent of the Moscow Patriarchate.