Results of a public opinion poll conducted by the Razumkov Centre Sociological Service with support from Konrad Adenauer Foundation Ukraine on November 9-15, 2023.

The face-to-face poll was conducted in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Transcarpathian, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi regions and the city of Kyiv (in Zaporizhia, Mykolayiv, Kharkiv, Kherson regions — only in the territories controlled by the government of Ukraine and free of hostilities).

The poll was conducted using stratified multistage sampling with random selection at the first stages of sampling and quota selection of respondents at the final stage (when respondents were selected based on sex and age quotas). The sample structure reproduces the demographic structure of the adult population of the territories where the poll was held as of the beginning of 2022 (by age, sex, settlement type).

2022 respondents over the age of 18 were polled. The sample theoretical error does not exceed 2.3%. At the same time, additional systemic deviations of the sample may be caused by the consequences of Russian aggression, in particular, forced evacuation of millions of citizens.

Among those who called themselves Christian, 50% welcomed the decision of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to switch to the New Julian calendar (15% reported a negative attitude, 14% were indifferent, 9% did not understand the question, 11% remained undecided).

A positive attitude to this decision was reported by 75% of respondents in the country’s West, 45% in the Centre, 40% in the South and 28% in the East, negative — from 6% in the West to 24% in the East. In the East, the total share of respondents who did not care, did not understand what it meant or remained undecided was the largest (48.5%).

This decision was welcomed by 82% of faithful of the UGCC, 62% of OCU, 24% of "just Orthodox" (that is, those who consider themselves Orthodox but do not identify themselves with any of the Orthodox churches), 21% of "just Christian" (those who consider themselves Christian but do not belong to any of the Christian denominations) and 20.5% of faithful of UOC(MP), and denounced — respectively, by 5%, 11%, 23%, 9% and 61%.

Among those who called themselves Christian, 35% answered that they celebrate Christian holidays according to the New Julian calendar, 28% — according to the Julian calendar (the "old style"), 27% — differently, dependent on the circumstances (3% do not celebrate Christian holidays and 7% did not answer).

In the West, 66% answered that they celebrate Christian holidays according to the New Julian calendar, 19% celebrate Christian holidays dependent on the circumstances, under the New Julian or Julian calendar, 11% — only according to the Julian calendar; in the Centre — 24%, 30.5% and 34%, respectively, in the South — 22.5%, 30% and 38%, in the East — 20%, 29% and 35%, respectively.

Among the faithful of the UGCC, 80% celebrate Christian holidays according to the New Julian calendar, 9.5% — dependent on the circumstances, according to the New Julian or Julian calendar, 7% — only according to the Julian calendar; among faithful OCU — 39%, 27% and 27.5%, respectively; among "just Orthodox" — 15%, 37% and 33%, respectively; among "just Christian" — 11%, 40%, and 24%, respectively, among the faithful of UOC(MP) — 6%, 13%, and 75%, respectively. 

SURVEY RESULTS IN TABLES

(data in the tables are given in percentages)

What is your attitude to the decision of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to switch to the New Julian calendar?, % among those who called themselves Christian

* West: Volyn, Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Chernivtsi regions;

Centre: Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Sumy, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernihiv regions;

South: Mykolayiv, Odesa, Kherson regions;

East: Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk regions. The "regional affiliation" of the respondents was determined by the region of their residence before the beginning of full-scale Russian aggression (that is, until February 24, 2022). 

What is your attitude to the decision of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to switch to the New Julian calendar?

Do you personally celebrate Christian holidays according to the New Julian calendar or the Julian calendar ("old style")?, % among those who called themselves Christian

Do you personally celebrate Christian holidays according to the New Julian calendar or the Julian calendar ("old style")?

https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/stavlennia-khrystyian-ukrainy-do-perekhodu-na-novoiulianskyi-kalendar-lystopad-2023r