ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS AND HISTORY OF ORTHODOX PILGRIMAGE IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Ukraine has very old Orthodox religious traditions, as well as a long and stormy history of Orthodox pilgrimage. Just like in Spain and Italy, where pilgrimage routes in Santiago de Compostela and Via Francigena are popular today, Ukraine should popularize its own pilgrimage history. Numerous ancient holy places and shrines of Russia, Cossacks period, the Ukrainian lands under the Russian Empire, the Soviet period are waiting for their pilgrims today. Despite the growing interest in religious travel, there is no analysis of Orthodox religious traditions and the history of Orthodox pilgrimage in Ukraine in historiography. Only certain issues of the problem are covered, mainly on the history of religion. Religious journeys has a long tradition. This is not a new phenomenon. Orthodox religious traditions in Ukraine are very old and are associated with the development of the main religion – Orthodoxy. The pilgrimage has been rapidly intensified and has received a legal framework since the days of Kievan Rus and until the present days. Many prominent pilgrims are known in the history of Ukraine. Among of them: the Kiev Grand Duchess Olga the Monk Anthony of Caves, Varlaam Pechersky, Saint Ephraim of the Caves, bishop of Pereyaslav, Vasyl Hryhorovych-Barskyi and others.Since ancient times, Ukrainians can be proud of their immemorial shrines, which attracted many pilgrims. Among them: the saints canonized in Kievan Rus’, the Kiev-Pechersky Monastery and many others. The tradition of Orthodox pilgrimage has become an integral part of the life of the Ukrainian people, despite the numerous obstacles that have arisen in the historical development of Ukraine. The full history of the Orthodox pilgrimage can not be analyzed in one article. There are many more questions that need to be discussed. It is necessary to pay attention to other religions and their traditions of pilgrimage in the history of Ukraine, as they developed in close cooperation with Orthodoxy in the territory of Ukraine.