New statistics on religious organizations in Ukraine

NEW STATISTICS ON RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN UKRAINE

Official information on the development of the structure of religious organizations in 2002 and statistical data on the number of religious organizations in Ukraine as of January 1, 2003, were made public at the press-conference that took place at the State Committee for Ukraine on February 4.

The chairman of the State Committee for Religions, Mr. Victor Bondarenko, noted that over half of the administrative-territorial constituent regions in Ukraine have in their territories over one thousand religious communities each.

According to the data of the committee, at present there are 28.567 religious organizations in Ukraine (including 27.480 religious communities) belonging to 54 religious trends. Out of the total number of religious communities, 1082 communities function without registration. In 2003, the number of religious organizations has increased by 1423 organizations (5,7%), including 726 (52,4%) Orthodox ones. Out of this number, 72.3% (525) are communities belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP), which is not only the largest but also the most dynamic religious organization in the country. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church numbers 10.040 communities. In 2002, registration was granted to 11 monasteries of the UOC MP (41,5% out of all newly registered organizations).

The second largest organization is the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church having 3334 communities. Registration has been also granted to 3196 communities of the schismatic “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate” (UOC KP), and to 1110 communities of the schismatic “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church” (UAOC). The latter number almost doubles the statistics presented by the “Autocephalists” themselves.

Registered in Ukraine are also 847 Roman Catholic communities, 2272 Baptists communities, 1366 Pentecostal communities, 928 Adventist communities, 790 charismatic communities, 262 Jewish communities, 462 Muslim communities (including 320 communities in the Crimea). The newest religious cults amount to 4,5% of the total number of religious communities.

The number of worship buildings in Ukraine has reached 19112 (increase by 478), but only 72% of the religious communities, fewer than before, are provided with facilities. The only religious organization fully provided with churches is the Transcarpathian Reformed Church.

The UOC MP is provided with churches by 85,8 percent. At the same time, there are 2232 worship buildings being built in Ukraine at present including 439 ones built with the help of the state. There are 26000 clergy of various confessions in Ukraine, including 704 foreigners.

In the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century, there were over 1000 inter-confessional conflicts registered in Ukraine. Today there are about 100 disputed establishments but in 2002 there was not a single case of open interreligious confrontation with use of force.