ABOUT THE ANCESTRY OF FR. PHILEMON KULCHINSKY AND HIS CORRESPONDENCE WITH METROPOLITAN HILARION (OGIENKO)

Abstract

In the article submitted for publication the author traces the life path of the priest of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Philemon Kulchynsky, and his creative heritage. The value and novelty of the submitted work is that archival sources have been published - correspondence of Father Philemon with Metropolitan Hilarion (Ogienko). If the personality of Metropolitan Hilarion in an independent Ukraine is receiving increasing public attention, then the figure of Father Philemon and his activities remain virtually unexplored. Meanwhile, he played an important role in the church life of post-war Ukrainian emigration, in particular he was the administrator of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Brazil. The letters published here relate to this period of his life and cover his attitude to the religious views of a prominent figure of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and scientist Yevhen Onatsky. In addition, the story of the illustrious Kulchytsky family, who gave a whole galaxy of fighters for Ukrainian independence, traces brief biographies of Father Philemon’s siblings and nephews.