History of Christianity in Ukraine

The History of Christianity in the lands of modern-day Ukraine dates back to the earliest centuries of the apostolic church. It has remained the dominant religion in the area since its acceptance in 988 by Vladimir the Great (Volodymyr the Great), who instated it as the state religion of Kievan Rus', a medieval East Slavic state.
Although separated into various denominations, most Ukrainian Christians share a common faith, a unique blend of Byzantine practices and Slavic mythology. These Eastern Christian traditions, in the form of both Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, have been at various historic times closely aligned with Ukrainian national self-identity.
Currently, three major Ukrainian Orthodox Churches coexist, and often compete, in the country: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Additionally, a significant body of Christians belong to the Eastern Rite Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and a smaller number in the Ruthenian Catholic Church. While Western Christian traditions such as Roman Catholicism and Protestantism have had a limited presence on the territory of Ukraine since at least the sixteenth century, worshipers of these traditions remain a relatively small minority in today's Ukraine.