Which objects do you suppose have been built more in our country over the years of independence: schools, hospitals, public restrooms, kindergartens, gyms, bridges or churches? There are no statistics testifying to the above but, in fact, one does not need it, for everything can be seen with the naked eye. The churches (of various confessions) are simply everywhere and so, they are off the charts.
There is always a priest or nun standing at every big market holding a box in which some passers-by throw their money now and then. Church community activists stroll the city streets, look at people in the restaurants with judging eyes, push the guilt on them, and say “give your money for the church and you will be absolved”. After all, one does not have to leave the house to donate to the construction of another church, one can easily do it online, simultaneously ordering a number of prayers. You always save on a package deal!
According to the results of last year’s survey conducted by the Razumkov Center, 9% of Ukraine’s population support religious institutions financially i.e. every tenth Ukrainian regularly donates “to the church”.
Speaking in contemporary terms, one can conclude that church has become the most successful crowdfunder and fundraiser over the years of Ukraine’s independence. The development of its regional network is really impressive.
A temple has appeared in every municipality of Ukraine. Where there was an orthodox church in the village, another Greek-Catholic one appeared. Where there was an Orthodox church of the Moscow Patriarchate, a temple of Kyiv Patriarchate was built. Where there was an old wooden church, the priest insisted on building a new, modern one. There were even cases when members of the religious community or the priest himself deliberately set fire to the existing church, to make the community raise money for the new worship place more actively.
A village can be half-deserted because the productive population moved abroad to earn money, while the church construction continues, thanks to the cash transfers of the believers from distant Naples or Warsaw. As for the cities, new churches emerge in every neighborhood, usually as ugly as existing ones. Unauthorized seizure of territories has become a routine for churches (especially the ones of popular denominations).
It’s paradoxical that people still consider the church an essential object. Sometimes you drive through some village, where there are no roads, the fences are falling apart, a village store is prehistoric and hasn’t been repaired for ages, the school remembers the times of Taras Shevchenko with the toilet outside the main building, but the church is brand new, shining, expensive and of high quality, with beautiful courtyards and a forged fence. Just like an Easter egg!
Why don’t people in the village raise money for a normal toilet for school, why don’t they build a normal bus stop not to get drenched every time it is raining if they always have enough money for the church? Why are those folks who cannot give money for light bulbs or a code lock in their entrance hall willingly donate their money for bigger chandeliers in the local church?
Churches multiply, while the population of Ukraine is decreasing. The number of practicing Christians in our country (who regularly attend church services) is falling. Soon we’ll have a situation when there will be plenty of empty churches of any kind.
In fact, with an exception for Easter, they are empty already.
Andrii Lyubka
