RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL BASIS OF ETHNOMENTALITY FORMATION: UKRAINIAN CONTEXT

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the religious and cultural foundations of the formation of the ethno-mentality of the population that lived in the territory of Ukraine at different periods of its history. The research analyzes authoritative sources from various historical periods and examines the phenomenon of national character from religious, philosophical, cultural, ethnological, and socio-political perspectives. The source base of the research consists of sources that enable a comprehensive understanding of the historical conditions for the formation of a specific socio-cultural environment in the territory of Ukraine. While presenting the material, a conceptual cultural and religious system of Ukrainian lands is built – an ethnomental triangle of “paganism – Byzantine Christianity – religious syncretism in the form of Ukrainian Orthodoxy”. A general characteristic of each stage of the religious and cultural development of the mentality of the local population is provided. The primary reasons for the transition from one cultural-historical period to another are determined, which include the natural development of human thinking, the evolution of religious systems, sociopolitical transformations, etc. The article’s materials also examine the religious and cultural features of Western and Eastern Christianity, defining their characteristics in theology, the social aspect of spiritual tradition, the influence on the mentality of believers, and the specifics of interaction with the surrounding world, particularly their reactions to changes brought by globalization. The study analyzes various assessments of the consequences of the Christianization of Ukrainian lands in the context of local residents’ cultural and mental characteristics. Given the scale of the stated topic, it is justified to develop some promising directions for further research to establish patterns between the dogmas of a particular religious and cultural system and their influence on the mentality of its followers. The article’s materials will be helpful for students, postgraduates, teachers, and anyone interested in the origins of Ukrainian religious tradition and culture.