UKRAINIAN
Your generosity is helping to broadcast Guidelines devotionals in Ukrainian, sharing the peace of Jesus in a region in an active war.
Language Stats
Number of Speakers
39 million worldwide, 31 million native speakers in Ukraine
Where It's Spoken
Primarily in Ukraine; also in parts of Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.
History & People
The Ukrainian people have a long history of struggle for freedom, even to this day. After the Middle Ages, the region of Ukraine was under rule by the Mongolian Golden Horde, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Crimean Khanate.
In the late 1700s, Ukraine came under control of the Russian empire. During a chaotic period in the early 1900s with the Russian revolution, an internal civil war, and the Ukrainian-Soviet War, Ukraine was an independent nation for a short period before becoming one of the republics of the Soviet Union.
Briefly controlled by Axis powers during WWII, Ukraine stayed under Soviet rule until the USSR dissolved and it became independent again in 1991.
Following independence, Ukraine suffered several years of multiple recessions. Instability emerged in 2013 between pro-European and pro-Russian factions over the decision to join the European Union.
In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed the region of Crimea, starting a war in eastern Ukraine. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine which they have been unable to complete.
Opportunity
While 71% of the population in Ukraine consider themselves Christians, the majority who attend church belong to various orthodox churches, with only 2% of them being protestant. Interested listeners simply have no understanding of new life in Christ. There is an opportunity to present the message of Jesus free of traditions, helping Ukrainians encounter God in a fresh and life-changing way.
As the war continues in Ukraine, Guidelines works with in-country partners to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of those who are suffering from the conflict.
