ANATOLY DUBLYANSKY'S MEMOIRS ABOUT THE ACTIVITY OF THE UKRAINIAN AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODOX CHURCH DURING THE GERMAN OCCUPATION OF UKRAINE (1941–1944)

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to investigate the activities of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) during the German occupation of Ukraine in 1941–1944 based on the memoirs of a member of the church and religious life of Volyn Anatoly Dublyansky, as well as based on the archival documents and other sources. The methodology of the study is based on the principles of historicism, systematics and scientific. Historical-comparative, problemchronological and structural-functional methods were used in the research. The scientific novelty of the research is that for the first time in the Ukrainian historiography, based on the previously unknown memoirs of Anatoly Dublyansky and archival documents, the history of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church during the German occupation during 1941–1944 was summarized. Conclusions. Thus, to study the activities of the UAOC during the Nazi occupation, an important and valuable source is the memoirs of a contemporary and active participant in those events – Anatoly Dublyansky, in future Metropolitan of the Western European and Parisian UAOC in the Diaspora. Analyzing these memoirs, and through other sources, it is possible to find out that with the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Ukraine, the hope for the revival of cultural and religious life began to prevail among the Ukrainian population. Despite the prohibitions and obstacles, orthodox Ukrainians tried to actively organize church and religious life. However, there were two parallel Orthodox churches during this period: the Autocephalous and the Autonomous, uniting of which, unfortunately, did not happen. Most important for the UAOC during this period was the acquisition of its own bishopric, which justify it as a separate structure, led by Administrator Policarp (Sikorsky), who made considerable efforts to arrange church life in Ukraine, in particular in Volyn.