In today’s conditions, religious organizations that have a leadership center on the territory of the aggressor state of Russia are actively used by the enemy as a tool of the ideological component of the hybrid war against Ukraine. It is urgent to understand the scope of this problem, to find out when these processes were launched in time, to understand the motivation for committing crimes against the foundations of national security by ministers of religion, to reconstruct the characteristic features of a conditional sociological portrait of clergy accused and convicted of collaborationist activities. 

The results of the study can be used to prevent the further spread of processes dangerous to the state in the field of religious security during the war.

The purpose of the study is: to clarify the reasons and motivations for the clergy to go over to the enemy, their age, educational, and social characteristics, and to outline the likely ways of spreading the prohibited ideology of “Russian peace” through religious educational institutions and monasteries in Ukraine since the 1990 s.

The research methodology is: based on the correlation of theoretical and empirical forms and methods. To form the source base, specific methods of information collection (Internet resources) were used, which allowed for the analysis of certain social problems, including the identification of the features of group consciousness. 

The research toolkit is based on the methods of sociological sampling, theoretical and content analysis, and data synthesis.

As a result of the analysis, common characteristic features of clergy (higher church hierarchs) accused and convicted of collaborating with the enemy were identified, their educational level and place of obedience, corporate and family ties were analyzed, which made it possible to identify several motivational factors of their anti-Ukrainian activities. 

In addition, the results of the study outlined the ways and directions of ideological influence on the clergy of religious organizations of Ukraine in order to form a network that is actively used by the enemy in the hybrid information war against our state.

Conclusions: We have documented and confirmed facts of state treason and justification of the bloody war against Ukraine, aiding and participating in terrorist groups, accusations of anti-Ukrainian activity in the actions of half of the leaders of denominations that have a leadership center on the territory of the aggressor country. The vast majority of them (92 %!) belong to the highest hierarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church. A third of them were born, studied and began their spiritual careers on the territory of Russia, are reasonably suspected of strong corporate ties with the highest hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, close family ties in Russian security structures, favoritism on the part of Russian hierarchs and politicians. More than 40 % of those involved were born in Ukraine, but during their studies or initial service were purposefully involved in anti-Ukrainian ideology and its spread among the population of Ukraine. Often the careers of these hierarchs developed suspiciously rapidly, not in accordance with their educational level, which suggests a corruption component or personal interest of the curators in the appointments that were received. It should also be noted that in the dissemination of narratives of the “Russian world” among the clergy in the historical, cultural and spiritual area, not the least role was played since the 90s of the 20th century by theological educational institutions and “base” pro-Russian monasteries on the territory of Ukraine, which were (and perhaps still remain) a “forge of personnel” that the enemy can use to destabilize the situation inside the country and not only in the confessional area. Regarding the understanding of the motivational mechanisms of the shameful mass collaboration with the enemy of the clergy, a stratum that logically should become the spiritual support of our resistance, in the first place are their own economic interests, a primitive thirst for enrichment, retention of positions and influence. All this is superimposed on a purposefully formed aggressive anti-Ukrainian ideology, which has become their conscious identity and, ultimately, led to the imposition of their own ambitions over the principles of Christian morality.

Key words: clergy accused or convicted, collaborationism, legislation in the field of religions, church in the conditions of war in Ukraine, sociological research on collaborationism.

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