Interreligious Relations in Medieval Ukraine: Coexistence of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Communities

The study was devoted to investigating the specifics of interreligious relations in medieval Ukraine during the 12th-17th centuries, particularly the interaction of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities in Kyivan Rus and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The research methods included a comparative historical analysis, which allowed assessing the differences in the legal status of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in different periods of the medieval history of Ukraine. The study results showed that interreligious relations in medieval Ukraine were characterised by a complex structure that included both social integration and conflict processes. Christianity served as the main institutional mechanism that ensured the legitimation of state power, regulation of public relations, and the development of a regulatory framework. Non-Christian religious communities, especially Jewish and Muslim ones, had a special legal status that ranged from obtaining economic privileges to introducing discriminatory norms and legal restrictions. The Orthodox and Catholic denominations competed for dominance in the religious and political space, which was manifested in the desire to gain the support of secular elites and the population. The conclusion of the Union of Brest in 1596 was an important factor that contributed to the transformation of the confessional landscape, which, in turn, led to the deepening of disagreements between Orthodox and Catholic traditions and the activation of socio-religious contradictions.