Church Without Walls: Post-Soviet Baptists after the Ukrainian Revolution, 2013-14, Joshua T. Searle, 2016

has recently been established as a registered charity (no. 1161511) in the UK. For more information, see https://missioneurasia.org. EPIGRAPH ‘In Far Siberia’s Deepest Soil’ (1827) Hecuactb1o BepHas cectpa, Hayek a B Mpa4uHOM MOZ3eMesIbe Pa36yauT Oo_pocts H Becesbe, IIpuger xesaHHas nopa: Hope, the faithful sister to all sorrow, In your dark dungeon, Awakens courage and joy; The hoped-for time will come JIro60Bb H ApyxKecTBO 110 Bac JloifytT cKBo3b Mpa4uHble 3aTBOPHI, Kak B BallIM KaTOp>KHbIe HOPbI Jloxoqut Moi cBoOOAHBI rac. Then love and friendship will perforate The gloomy gates of your captivity, And shatter the bolts of servitude The voice of freedom calls to you OxoBBbI TXKKHE HayT, TeMHHUbI pyxHyT — u cBodoya Bac puMetT payocTHo y Bxosa, Vi Opatpa Mey Bam OTAAayT. The heavy shackles will fall, The gloomy prisons will crumble, Freedom will joyfully greet you at the gates, And the brothers will give you a sword. —Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) INTRODUCTION Anyone with a romantic frame of mind and a love of beauty cannot help being captivated by Ukraine. Ukrainian culture — nurtured by an exuberant tradition of poetry, literature, music, and creative arts — possesses a depth and vigour that few nations could rival. As well as being married to a Ukrainian, I am privileged to count several Ukrainians as some of my closest friends. I have found the Ukrainian people, on the whole, to be imbued with a passionate and innate love of freedom. Moreover, unlike other nations that I have visited in post-Soviet Eurasia, Christianity permeates every aspect of Ukrainian culture. As one prominent Ukrainian historian remarks, “One cannot possibly understand any aspect of the cultural, social, political, or even the economic life of [Ukraine] in the last thousand years without taking into account the contribution of Christianity, its teachings, liturgical practices, ethical norms, social and personal spirituality, church art and popular piety.”” Since gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine has been the major hub of evangelistic and humanitarian activity throughout Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. Social scientists have even referred to Ukraine as the “Bible belt” of the Former Soviet Union.’ Despite strong resistance from entrenched Soviet mentalities and the passing of unfavourable legislation, Ukrainian Christians succeeded in establishing various NGOs, Christian missions, evangelical think tanks and various centres of theological education. For those with ears to hear and eyes to see, the Holy Spirit has been active in various ways in Ukrainian society in the twenty five years since the demise of the USSR. I have long been convinced that of all the nations in Eastern Europe, it is Ukraine which has the greatest potential to become a beacon of light and hope to the people of the Former Soviet Union. I am also persuaded that the Baptist community in Ukraine, despite i