Sanctifying the Nation: The Orthodox Church and the Ethno‐Symbolic Foundations of Ukrainian Identity

ABSTRACT This article examines the role of the Orthodox Church in shaping Ukrainian national identity through Benedict Anderson's concept of ‘imagined communities’ and Anthony D. Smith's theory of ethno‐symbolism. Challenging secular models of nationhood, it argues that the sacred and the national are often co‐constitutive. In Ukraine, Orthodox rituals, sacred language, iconography and liturgical calendars have long served as carriers of collective memory. From the Christianisation of Kyivan Rus to the schism with the Moscow Patriarchate and the rise of an autocephalous Church, religious institutions have acted not only as spiritual authorities but also as agents of political identity. The study explores how sacred symbols became national emblems and how a Church once aligned with empire emerged as a site of resistance and cultural renewal. By analysing the historical and ritual dimensions of Orthodoxy, the article shows how the Church functions as a reservoir of cultural memory and a vital force in Ukraine's national imaginary. In doing so, it reveals the inherently political role of the sacred in Ukrainian nation‐building.