Religious Situation in the Occupied Territory of Donetsk Region

Authors

Roman Dodonov, Taras Shevchenko University of KievFollow
Andrii Fesenko, National Technical University of Ukraine "Ihor Sikorskyi Kyiv Polytechnic Institute"Follow
Volodymyr Glazunov, Zaporizhzhia National UniversityFollow
Igor Kapritsyn, Zaporizhia National University, Zaporizhia, UkraineFollow
Olesia Stoliarchuk, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan UniversityFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

Roman Dodonov - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1598-499X

Andrii Fesenko - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8054-6737

Volodymyr Glazunov - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0426-3230

Igor Kapritsyn - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6748-9523

Olesia Stoliarchuk - http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4252-2352

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of dynamics of the religious situation and its impact on the population of the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region in the period from 2014 to 2024. When analyzing the religious situation in the occupied territory, it should be borne in mind that after the beginning of the armed conflict in the Donetsk region, the territory under the control of anti-Ukrainian forces has been constantly changing. The study of the peculiarities of religious processes in the Donetsk region in the light of occupation reveals not only aspects of politics and socio-cultural dynamics, but also outlines the importance of religion in maintaining religious identity and perception of society in the context of conflict and tense socio-political ties. The study confirms that as a result of military aggression, a significant number of religious organizations that functioned in the Donetsk region before the war began have become de facto “hostages” in the temporarily occupied territory, where the Ukrainian government is unable to exercise its constitutional powers. The researchers state that from the first days of their stay in power in the occupied territory of Donetsk region, pro-Russian leaders declared their desire to fight for the establishment of the “Russian world” and the establishment of Russian ideological ideals in society, imposing their own social and spiritual values on the Ukrainian people.

Recommended Citation

Dodonov, Roman; Fesenko, Andrii; Glazunov, Volodymyr; Kapritsyn, Igor; and Stoliarchuk, Olesia (2025) "Religious Situation in the Occupied Territory of Donetsk Region," Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 45 : Iss. 6 , Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2644
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol45/iss6/6