Богослужбові практики Волинсько-Кременецької єпархії Православної Церкви в Польщі у 1920‑х рр. та їхній вплив на формування національної ідентичності українців

Abstract

Реформування православного літургійного життя в міжвоєнній Польщі стало ключовим інструментом розриву з російською імперською спадщиною. Проблема дослідження полягає у суперечливості впровадження українізації на рівні парафій через опір консервативних церковних кіл і державний тиск. Гіпотеза ґрунтується на тому, що трансформація богослужбових практик Волинсько-Кременецької єпархії стала одним з визначальних чинників формування української національної ідентичності. Доводиться, що боротьба за рідну мову і збереження старого стилю літургійного життя була невід’ємним елементом протистояння асиміляційній політиці Другої Речі Посполитої.

The aim of the study is to examine the process of implementing the decisions of the ecclesiastical authorities of the Orthodox Church in Poland concerning liturgical practices at parish level in the Volyn-Kremenets Diocese and their influence on the formation of Ukrainian national consciousness. The methodology is based on both general scientific and specialised historical research methods, in particular the problem-chronological, comparative-historical, historical-genetic, and typological approaches. The scientific novelty of the article lies in its comprehensive analysis of changes in the liturgical practices of the Volyn-Kremenets Diocese in relation to the formation of Ukrainian national identity. This is achieved through the expansion of the source base by analysing documents of the Volyn Orthodox Spiritual Consistory and by supplementing existing knowledge of significant events, such as the diocesan assembly of 1921 and the struggle for Ukrainization within the parish of the cathedral church in Volodymyr-Volynskyi. Attention is also devoted to attempts to introduce chrism-making within the Orthodox Church in Poland. These new materials provide a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding the formation of national identity among Orthodox Ukrainians in Volyn, highlighting the challenges created by ecclesiastical divisions and the policies of the Polish authorities. The study demonstrates that changes in liturgical practices reflected both the growing significance of the national factor in the life of the Orthodox Church in Poland and the substantial obstacles encountered in this process. This situation was largely determined by several factors that shaped the conditions for the institutionalisation of Orthodox believers in the Second Polish Republic: the break with the Russian Orthodox Church; the establishment of new state borders that disregarded the principle of national self-determination for Ukrainians and Belarusians; the assimilationist policy of the Polish state towards its minorities; and the emergence of Ukrainian national and ecclesiastical movements. The hierarchy’s lack of a coherent vision of its own autocephalous identity resulted in hesitation between accommodating the Polish authorities, aligning with the majority of the ordinary clergy, and responding to the initiatives of an active group of national leaders. The latter two positions reflected different dimensions of the sentiments and expectations of Ukrainians in Volyn within an environment characterised by dynamic processes of national identity formation. The promotion of the national narrative through liturgical practices encouraged the leaders of the Ukrainian church movement to adopt tactical flexibility. During the 1920s, they demonstrated an ability to engage in dialogue with the hierarchy, to take advantage of the clergy’s institutional inertia, and even to cooperate strategically with the Polish authorities. The article emphasises the complexity of implementing liturgical reforms at parish level, primarily owing to the persistence of imperial Russian narratives within the consciousness of the Ukrainian population of Volyn. For this reason, the pursuit of conciliarity in church life and the Ukrainization of divine services should be regarded as important instruments for strengthening Ukrainian national identity, complementing the educational and public activities of Ukrainian national organisations.