Діяльність Ради міністра ісповідань на Поділлі за часів керівництва Івана Огієнка (вересень 1919 р. – червень 1920)

The article examines the Council of the Minister of Confessions activity under the leadership of Ivan Ohiіenko in Podilya. Protocols of meetings were analyzed, which testify an attempt to reform a spiritual life in the UNR by preparing draft laws, issuing orders, decrees, and various problems discussions. A range of issues identified as priorited ones by Ohiіenko’s ministerial team, namely: changes in church management and religious education, Ukrainization of spiritual life, development of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and confrontation with anti-state actions of a part of the clergy. The personal contribution of Minister Ohiіenko to reforming the church and religious sphere of the country is characterized through the prism of work in the consultative body he created from September 1919 to June 1920. Ivan Ohiіenko’s activity in the Ministry of Confessions was aimed at implementing reforms of spiritual life in the UNR, more precisely in the territory that was under the control of the Directory. The introduction of the state language in the religious sphere, the transfer of theological schools to the Ministry of Education, the development of Ukrainian autocephaly and many other questions, that were on the agenda of the national policy of the young state, required mechanisms for their solution. Almost all the draft laws that were introduced for consideration by the government, were issued by Minister Ivan Ohiіenko. His orders were considered in the Council of the Minister of Confessions at first, where the most balanced and rational decisions were made collegially. The work of this structure of the ministry was quite fruitful, because dozens of draft laws, orders, circulars were developed that represented the state policy in the spiritual and religious life of UNR citizens. Due to various reasons – primarily the war, a significant part of the work of the Council of the Minister of Confessions, remained only on paper. However, these studies were important not only for learning the proposed changes vision of the Ohiіenko’s team, but also are extremely important for today, when Ukrainians are re-building a national church. The activities of the Council of the Minister of Confessions, headed by Ivan Ohiіenko, were only briefl y revealed in the scientific publications of researchers. Until now, the topic raised by us has not been comprehensively covered, which explains the urgent need for this research. The purpose of the study is to clarify the content of the issues and problems discussed during the meetings of the Council of the Minister of Confessions, as well as to determine the role and signifi cance of this ministerial structure for reforming the spiritual sphere in the UNR, which was headed by Ivan Ohiіenko on Podilya.