Науковий вісник Чернівецького університету. Історія. № 1/2018 (47) 74
УДК 929(477)Хомишин
© Oleksandr Rusnak (Chernivtsi)
CALENDAR REFORM OF BISHOP H. KHOMYSHYN AND BUKOVYNA
The article analyzes the main motives for the implementation of calendar reform 1916 of Stanyslaviv
Bishop H. Khomyshyn. The attitude of Ukrainian Greek Catholic population of Bukovyna towards the
Gregorian calendar is described. The positions of representatives of local clergy and individual politicians
are determined.
Keywords: Bukovyna, Hryhorii Khomyshyn, Greek Catholic Church, calendar reform.
Олександр Руснак (Чернівці)
КАЛЕНДАРНА РЕФОРМА ЄПИСКОПА Г. ХОМИШИНА І БУКОВИНА
У статті проаналізовано основні мотиви здійснення Станиславівським владикою
Г. Хомишиним календарної реформи 1916 р. Охарактеризовано ставлення до григоріанського
календаря українського греко-католицького населення Буковини. Визначено позиції представників
місцевого духовенства і окремих політиків.
Ключові слова: Буковина, Григорій Хомишин, греко-католицька церква, календарна реформа.
Formulation of scientifc problem and its signifcance. One of the innovations of Bishop Hryhorii
Khomyshyn, which received an ambiguous assessment of public, was his calendar reform – an attempt to
move from the Julian to the Gregorian liturgical calendar made in Stanyslaviv diocese of Greek Catholic
Church in 1916.
In parallel with the present, we state, that in Ukraine 100 years after H. Khomyshyn the society returned
again to the discussion about changing the church calendars. First of all, the statements of the secretary of
the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov
1
and the head of the UGCC
the Blessed Sviatoslav (Shevchuk)
2
testify to the seriousness of intentions.
Analysis of recent research. Having a signifcant social resonance in its time, the problem was
studied rather actively by scholars. In our opinion, one of the most valuable studies of the calendar reform,
carried out by the Bishop is a detailed article of O. Pavlyshyn «From the History of Gregorian Calendar
Implementation in Church Life of Ukrainians: the Calendar Reform of Bishop Hryhorii Khomyshyn»
3
.
The author frst touched on the signifcance of religious holidays in the lives of Ukrainians, considered the
calendar issue at Brest Union and during the Austrian rule in Western Ukrainian lands. The key part of his
text is devoted to the introduction of Gregorian calendar in Stanyslaviv diocese (covering the characteristics
of preconditions, the assessment of innovations by the national leadership and believers).
U. Uska complemented a little these materials in the article «Calendar Reform of 1916 and Ukrainian
Socio-political Movement in Galicia»
4
. Fragmental references to the reform of H. Khomyshyn in 1916 are
in monographs of O. Yehreshii
5
, N. Myzak
6
, in the articles of I. Pylypiv
7
, I. Orlevych
8
.
Aim of the article. Despite the signifcant contribution of mentioned authors to the study of the
problem, the common feature of their works is that they have paid little attention to the implementation of
the reform within Bukovynian parishes of the diocese. Therefore, the purpose of our article is to summarize
and supplement the information about this region.
Presenting main material. Researchers see several factors that led to this decisive step of Bishop.
According to the thought of O. Pavlyshyn it is not accidental that the attempt to change the calendar took
place «on the background of serious social and socio-political upheavals, which experienced Ukrainian
community of Eastern Galicia during the First World War»
9
. During Russian occupation Greek Catholic
Church itself was seriously affected: Metropolitan A. Sheptytskyi and 58 other members of the clergy
were taken away from the region
10
. Historian O. Yehreshii convinces, that «by introducing the Gregorian
calendar in 1916 instead of the Julian, H. Khomyshyn intended to reduce Russian infuence in Galicia»
11
.
Agreeing in general with the expressed opinions, we must add, that all this was also true for Bukovyna.
After all, here the consequences of Russian occupation were remembered not for the better side: the local
clergy (though Orthodox Metropolitan Volodymyr Repta) had to transfer «gold and silver items of 50
thousand crowns worth»
12
to the indemnity that inhabitants of Chernivtsi had to pay.