Religion in Kiev

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Kiev was traditionally inhabited by pagan tribes. By the turn of the 1000 A.D. Byzantine-rite Christianity reached the city. Many believe that Apostle Andrew came up to the very place where Kiev was founded in his lifetime.

But it was only in the 900 A.D that the Byzantine Empire came to influence the emerging state of the Kievan Rus. The first recorded conversion was by Saint Olga. After several years, the duchess’ grandson, Knyaz Vladimir baptized his own people in the Dnieper River. This started a long history of the Eastern Orthodoxy dominance in Ruthenia that later influenced Ukraine and Russia.

Judaism had been on the lands of Kiev for about 2000 years when the Jewish traders came in contact with Greek colonies. The neighboring Khazar Kaganate, at the same time, was influenced by Judaism. The Jewish presence in the city had increased significantly beginning in the 13th century. Later on new teaching of Judaism was established in Kiev – Hasidism.

Islam also plays an important part in the history of Ukraine. The religion was brought to the city by a long history of controversy with the Ottoman Empire and Golden Horde. Crimean Tatars accepted the Muslim religion by taking part in the Golden Horde and then becoming the vassals of the Ottoman Empire.

Religion in Kiev underwent a series of phases, notably during the times of the Soviet Union. In these times, the city fell under the oppressive atheist regime; many Christians were persecuted and very few people were church goers.