Rus festivities likely to spark new fight with Moscow

by Irina Prymachyk, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Jul 09 2008, 20:27

Worn out by the relentless war of words between Ukraine and Russia, both still squaring off over the future of the Black Sea Fleet, Crimea, language, natural gas and NATO, among other things?

Expect more of the same during Kyiv’s big plans this summer to commemorate the 1020th anniversary of when the ancient Kyivan Rus empire adopted Christianity. In this standoff, both sides will clash on several fronts, starting with religion and history.

The festivities, championed by President Viktor Yushchenko, kick off on July 10. Conferences, visits by esteemed guests and prayer services are scheduled through July. The president said the celebrations could help spur unity between various Orthodox Churches in Ukraine, one of which is loyal to the Moscow Patriarch and another headquartered in Kyiv, where the Kyivan Rus church was founded.

Yushchenko has invited a long list of dignitaries including the Archbishop of Constantinople, whose predecessor issued a Patriarchy to Kyiv 1020 years ago. The festivities will include a prayer service at Sofiyivska Cathedral in the center of Kyiv, including a speech by the Archbishop of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Yushchenko also hopes the anniversary will reaffirm his country’s claim to a 1,128-year-old history. Like many Ukrainians, Yushchenko sees Ukraine as the direct ancestor of Kyivan Rus, an empire founded by Viking princes who conquered Slavic tribes in the region. But in doing so, critics say he has laid the ground work for yet another confrontation with Moscow, which along with Belarus, also traces its roots, and Christianization, to Kyiv Rus.

Rus row

Earlier this year, the Institute of Strategic Studies within the presidential administration issued a report, explaining its dissatisfaction with Soviet­designed myths that Russia was the main ancestor of Kyivan Rus, leaving Ukraine with the label of “Little Russia.” The institute argued that, compared to Russia, Ukraine had stronger claims to Rus, based on geography and ethnic makeup. Some Ukrainian historians have claimed Russia hijacked the Orthodox Patriarchy nearly a century after Mongol invaders sacked Kyiv in the 13th century.

The history is complicated, and any move by Kyiv to stress a stronger connection to the ancient empire is certain to trigger resentment from Russia.

After wavering, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexei II, decided to attend celebrations, but remains upset that the Ukrainian side unilaterally invited Constantinople’s Patriarch, officials in Moscow said.

“From the Ukrainian side it was impolite to invite Alexei II on the same date as the Archbishop of Constantinople,” said Vladimir Kornilov, head of the CIS Institute in Ukraine, a pro­Kremlin think tank.

Confrontations on this issue could spread, further complicating bilateral relations between Kyiv and Moscow.

“Ukrainians are not the only ones who inherited Kyivan Rus traditions. In historical books you will find no Kyivan Rus, just Rus." he said. "Russia wants to pursue a strategic partnership with Ukraine, but it also conveys that strategic partnership and Euro­Atlantic integration are incompatible. The same thing applies to the way this celebration is being handled,” Kornilov added.

Many Ukrainian historians disagree with such interpretations expressed by Kornilov. Yet the issue is divisive among Ukrainians too. Large shares of the population are members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church subservient to Alexei II; others back the Kyiv Patriarch, while others are members of yet other churches. Many of them have opposed Yushchenko’s attempts to reinstate a unified, independent and dominating Ukrainian Orthodoxy church.

Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Sergiy Lavrov, said Moscow does not support Ukrainian efforts to create a separate Orthodox church and has called for the Ukrainian and Russian Patriarchies to be joined.

Oleksandr Paliy, a political analyst and historian at the Institute of External Policy within the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, praised plans to hype up the Kyivan Rus anniversary celebrations.

Paliy, an advocate of Ukraine’s claim to Rus, hopes the issue doesn’t polarize relations with what he described as an overly aggressive Moscow, but expressed hope such a spar will be avoided.

“I see no conflict over the celebration of the christening in Ukraine, though Russians have always worried over Ukraine having its own history, which is longer than theirs. Having a grudge against Bartholomew’s invitations, they are more than illogical because Christianity came to Ukraine directly from Constantinople, not from Moscow,” Paliy said.

“The dynamics of relations between Ukraine and Russia are not optimistic to say the least. It is equally obvious that the initiative to mar relations and sharpen rhetoric comes from the Russian side,” Paliy added, pointing to Moscow’s inability to accept Kyiv’s view of history, and foreign policy goals of joining NATO, the European Union and closely integrating with other Western institutions.

Oles Buzyna, a Ukrainian journalist and author of the “Secret Story of Ukraine­Rus,” a book which aimed to debunk many myths about Ukrainian history, accused Yushchenko of being an anti­Russian president and exploiting the Rus anniversary. It should be held in a way to encourage friendly relations among Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians, he said.

Irina Prymachyk can be reached at Prymachyk@kpemdia.ua or 496­4563 ext. 1159.