ESTABLISHMENT AND ACTIVITY BEGINNING OF THE UKRAINIAN AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODOX CHURCH IN POSTWAR GERMANY

Abstract

After the second revival in 1942, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (further – UAOC) met a number of obstacles regarding its activities from the Soviet and German occupation regimes. Due to persecution and oppression, the hierarchy and clergy of the UAOC made a decision to go to emigration. Preserving the canonical episcopate, the UAOC has begun a new stage of existence in an emigrant environment. Since then, a new period of activity of the UAOC in an emigrant environment begins, the study of which is relevant to modern historical science, since the study and introduction into the scientific sphere of new archival documents and memoirs of contemporaries gives an opportunity to establish a coherent picture of the activities of the UAOC outside of Ukraine. The post-war Germany was a place of residence for the clergy and the numerous people of Ukraine. Among the many emigrants who left Ukraine was Anatoliy Dublyansky, the future metropolitan of the Western European and Parisian of UAOC in the diaspora, a native of Volyn, who left a significant mark on the development of the culture of his native land and church life in Germany. Devoting his life to the UAOC, he worked hard for the establishment and existence of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Germany, first as the priest and after the death of his wife – as the episcopal. Based on the Anatoliy Dublyansky’s memories in this article the process of the formation of the Ukrainian Orthodox life of the UAOC in Germany after the Second World War has been presented. The number of parishes and clerics as well as pastoral, cultural, educational and publishing activities were established.