Through the Ages

    It is important to understand that Ukraine has a long history which is still not written in the books as a single unit. I mean, there are too many points of view as of which historical event which makes the process very difficult. First of all, some scientists believe Ukraine to be the Motherland of the Arians (or Indo-Arians), whose native language became the basis for all languages of the Indo-European language family (including Slavonic, Roman and Germanic, that is Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Slovak, English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Faroese, Italian, Latin etc.). This event seems to belong to the time between 5000 and 2000 BC. But even earlier existed the Trypillya Culture (it is named after the village near the Dnipro River where its traces were found). Maybe, they were living somewhat 10 000 BC, maybe, 8 000 BC or 12 000 BC. They were a settled tribe, they lived in the houses, they knew the writing. The last fact is the reason for the scientist’s admiration of this culture because in that time people living in the Europe were still wild animal-hunters only. And the signs found on the Trypillya (Tripillia, Tripolye) tableware and adornments are very similar to the runes found in Europe during the 1st milleniaum AD which appearance is under the shadow of secret.

The recognized history of Ukraine’s land starts in the 6th century AD, when Kyiv (Kiev) was founded by three brothers Kyi, Schek, Khoryv and their sister Lybid’ who are believed to be the the representatives of the Polyan tribe. This fact is not proved, mainly because the most of that time evidences are available thanks to the chroniclers’ work, especially to Nestor (Nestor The Annalist), the Kyiv Lavra monk who wrote the Story of the Passing Years (the Primary Chronicle, the Annals, the Russian Primary Chronicle). As you can see the state’s name in that time was Kyivan Rus’ (Kievan Rus’). You may imagine that this explains quite evidently the mutual history of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus but this is wrong. The State of Muscovy (the proper name for Russia) appeared in the 15th century AD only. And it took the name of Russia in the 18th century AD, during Peter the Great’s reign. He was trying to find the old roots for his state which traditions till that time had very little in common with those of Rus’ as they were full of Asian prejudices and even the Muslim elements. That is when the word Rus’ was stolen with its root “Rus”. Thus, the citizen of Kyivan Rus’ called himself Rus’kyi and the citizen of Russia names himself Russkyi, that is Russian. Therefore, there is no sense in naming Kyivan Rus’ the first Russian state.

Another fact worth discussing is the religion and its role in Ukraine’s history. Till Prince Volodymyr took his decision in 988 that the Christianity is the most suitable religion for the nation (at least, the annals say that he invited representatives of all known religions – these were three: Byzantium Orthodoxies, Muslims and Jews) the Paganism was widespread in Kyivan Rus’. According to some analysis, the Kyiv founders could have already been the Christians, as well as Askold and Dir. But the approved fact is only that Princess Olga was christened. Her son Svyatoslav refused to introduce the Christianity in his state stating that the existing Pagan religion is developed enough to serve the needs of him and his state. He is often opposed as the last freat Prince-Warrior before the Volodymyr who took the Christianity.

I am writing these strokes on the July, 27, 2008, the day of official celebration of the 1020 anniversary of introduction of the Christianity in Ukraine-Rus’. This drives me to the necessity to explain some peculiarities of the ecclesiastic history of Ukrainian nation. Prince Volodymyr had chosen the Byzantium variant of Christianity, therefore the Byzantium Church is considered to be the Mother Church for Ukraine. Till the end of the 17th century Ukraine’s church was subordinated to it, but then Patriarch of Moscow consecrated new Kyiv Patriarch which was illegal. Although Ecumenical Patriarch that was later accused of bribing and dismissed approved the transition of Ukraine’s patriarchy under Moscow, the Holy Synod rejected it. Today’s Patriarch Bartholomew I explains that the flow of history made them to take the event as the given fact, as if it was made for Ukraine’s sake, for its political protection. In fact, it is clear that they just could not struggle with Moscow state as their resources were limited. In 2008 the situation was such that existed several Churches in Ukraine: the Ukrainian Othodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate (resored in 1990s), the Ukrainian Othodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (self-sufficient), the Byzantine-rite Catholic Church of the Ukraine (created in the end of the 16th century under the idea of Unia – the unification and consolidation of all Ukrainians under the Pope’s authority but retaining the East rite, its formation was not a success and it exists in the Western part of Ukraine only).