The Orthodox Clergy of Postwar Ukraine

After Ukraine was liberated from Nazi occupation in 1944, a noticeable spiritual revival began in the republic. Ukrainians, including the youth, showed a renewed interest in the Orthodox faith and sought to restore it. However, it was not only the ruined churches and devastated monasteries that needed rebuilding. The Church, as a community of believers with a hierarchical and organizational structure, had suffered immense human losses. Clergy, entrusted by God through the apostles to perform sacred rites, were particularly affected.

Reports from the Commissioners of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church under the USSR Council of Ministers in Ukraine, declassified as part of the project "The Church of the Faithful. Ukraine. 1940s," provide insight into those clergy members who had faced persecution even before the war, survived the enemy invasion, resisted temptations (or repented of their past mistakes), and those who joined the ranks of the clergy only after Ukraine’s liberation.

Clergy with No Prior Experience

In early 1946, commissioners across Ukraine submitted statistical data on the clergy to the republican authorities. The records from Kharkiv and Vinnytsia regions provide a revealing picture. In Kharkiv, 213 priests and 24 deacons served a population of 1,668,300 in 1944, while in Vinnytsia, 421 priests and 13 deacons served a nearly identical population of 1,666,500. The discrepancy in the number of clergy could be attributed to Kharkiv’s industrial and urban character, where religiosity was traditionally lower, whereas Vinnytsia, an agricultural region, had a more devout population. Another possible factor was Kharkiv’s geographical proximity to Orthodox centers, while Vinnytsia was closer to the Catholic West.

The Vinnytsia commissioner reported that nearly all active clergy were registered, with only five exceptions. Of the priests, 79 (19%) had been serving for less than a year, though most were over forty years old (98%). Many had entered the priesthood as mature adults, transitioning from other professions.

Educationally, the clergy of postwar Ukraine were lacking. In Vinnytsia, only 117 priests (28%) had theological training, with just two holding higher theological degrees. The majority—256 priests (60%)—lacked even a general secondary education. Most had remained in occupied territories during the war, three had served in the military, and two had fled with the Germans but later returned and resumed their duties without facing punishment.

A notable portion of the clergy had begun their service during the Nazi occupation. Before the war, Vinnytsia had no operational churches or prayer houses. The Germans, attempting to sway the population against the Soviet government, allowed religious services to resume. Many clergy had previously left the Church for secular work but returned when the opportunity arose. Others came from Soviet universities. One example is a former Soviet officer, Turondon, born in 1915, who was ordained as a deacon in 1946. He had studied at the Leningrad Institute of Economics, worked as an engineer, served as an army officer, and chose the priesthood because his father had been a priest.

At the end of his report, the Vinnytsia commissioner noted that while the number of parishes and clergy was decreasing, the decline was slow. The tone of the report suggests satisfaction with the shrinking religious presence but concern over the slow pace of this decline.

A Church Facing a Clergy Shortage

The Orthodox Church in postwar Ukraine suffered from a severe shortage of clergy. A 1946 report compiled by Council Commissioner Pavel Khodchenko summarized incomplete data from the first quarter of that year: Ukraine had 15 bishops, 5,098 priests, and 386 deacons. Of these, only 1,175 (21%) had theological education. There were 6,233 registered churches and prayer houses, with an additional 1,753 former Uniate churches in western Ukraine.

The urgent need for clergy led to the appointment of individuals who lacked the moral qualities required for the role or who were simply unfit for such a responsibility.

The Criteria for a "Good" Priest

When assessing priests, Soviet officials prioritized participation in the war against fascism and their postwar civic stance. In Kharkiv, no priests had fought on the front lines or in partisan units, but some had suffered persecution under the Nazis. One example was Father Mikhail Zhamoytin, who was imprisoned for 27 days and beaten for being suspected of Bolshevik and partisan ties. He also received letters of gratitude from Soviet soldiers whom he had hidden from the Nazis at great personal risk.

Clergy were praised for patriotic sermons, which became a new genre of religious oratory, often delivered after church services. The Council for Church Affairs encouraged priests to engage in agricultural labor and contribute to state fundraising efforts. Bishop Stefan of Kharkiv, for instance, actively fostered good relations with the Soviet authorities, urging his clergy to promote patriotic fundraising. He personally subscribed to a state loan of 30,000 rubles and encouraged others to do the same.

Actions Deemed Unacceptable

Soviet officials were less appreciative of priests who focused solely on their religious duties or sought to defend their rights. A report from Kharkiv describes how Father Vladikov complained that children in a local sanatorium were being subjected to anti-religious propaganda and were discouraged from wearing crosses. The commissioner dismissed his concerns, emphasizing that the Soviet Constitution allowed both religious practice and anti-religious education. Vladikov, however, remained skeptical of the state's double standards.

Other actions, such as decorating churches for holidays or forming choirs, were interpreted as attempts to strengthen the Church's influence. Clergy were criticized for high fees for religious services, while providing free weddings for impoverished couples was seen as a ploy to attract believers. Reports also detailed instances of corruption, drunkenness, and moral failings among the clergy, and priests who resisted patriotic campaigns were condemned.

Given the severe clergy shortage, compromised priests were often transferred rather than removed. In Vinnytsia, there was roughly one priest for every two prayer houses, making replacements difficult.

A Difficult but Determined Revival

Restoring the Church after years of repression and war was never going to be easy. Despite immense challenges, the Orthodox faith in postwar Ukraine was experiencing a resurgence. However, as the Church regained strength, it soon faced new waves of anti-religious persecution under Soviet rule.