Ukraine: Chronology

1925 • London, EnglandAndre Anastasion, a native of Odesa, Ukraine, began translating the Book of Mormon into Russian.

Arthur Gaeth with members in Subcarpathian Rus

April–May 1930 • Subcarpathian Rus, Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovak Mission president Arthur Gaeth and missionaries Wallace Toronto and Charles Josie visited several towns in the Carpathian Mountains, delivered a lecture in Mukachevo, and met with the governor in Uzhhorod.

1980 • Salt Lake City, UtahThe first translation of the Book of Mormon in Russian, based on Anastasion’s work, was published.

1989 • Rexburg, IdahoMembers of a folk ensemble from Donetsk, Ukraine, performed in Rexburg and stayed in the homes of Latter-day Saints, including B. John and Carol Galbraith. A few later joined the Church.

October 7, 1990 • Kyiv, UkraineMissionaries Ivan Stratov and Brian Bradbury from the Austria Vienna East Mission arrived in Kyiv to begin proselytizing.

November 25, 1990 • KyivValeriy Stavichenko became the first Latter-day Saint to be baptized in Ukraine.

June 9, 1991 • KyivThe Church’s first branch in Ukraine was organized in Kyiv, with Valeriy Stavichenko as president.

August 24, 1991 • KyivThe Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine proclaimed Ukraine’s independence.

September 12, 1991 • KyivElder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Ukraine for the preaching of the restored gospel.

September 17, 1991 • KyivThe Church’s first religious community was officially registered with the city of Kyiv.

February 1992 • KyivThe Ukraine Kyiv Mission was formally established.

March 13, 1992 • LondonOleksiy Roms began his service as the first full-time missionary called from Ukraine.

March 22, 1992 • Donetsk, UkraineMissionaries arrived to begin preaching in Donetsk, the first city outside of Kyiv to which missionaries were assigned.

November 1992 • Freiberg, GermanyA group of Church members from Kyiv participated in the first organized temple trip from Ukraine to the Freiberg Germany Temple.

December 1992 • Kharkiv, UkraineChurch members in Kharkiv were formally organized into three branches.

February 1993 • KyivThree districts, Central, Left Bank, and Sviatoshyn, were organized in Kyiv. Oleksandr Manzhos, Vyacheslav Gulko, and Valeriy Stavichenko were called as the first district presidents, respectively.

September 1993 • KyivThe first seminary and institute classes began.

1995 • KyivChurch leaders began the “School of the Presidents,” a series of weekly training meetings for branch and district priesthood leaders.

August 6, 1995 • Lviv, UkraineThe Church’s first branch in Western Ukraine was organized, with Oleksiy Chemezov as president.

September 24, 1995 • DonetskThe Donetsk Ukraine District was organized.

1996 • LvivThe first Ukrainian-speaking missionaries began preaching in Western Ukraine.

January 21, 1996 • KharkivThe Kharkiv Ukraine District was organized with Volodymyr Ashanin as president.

July 1996 • DonetskOleksandr Manzhos was called as president of the Ukraine Donetsk Mission, becoming the first mission president from independent Ukraine.

July 30, 1996 • KyivThe Religious Administration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ukraine, the Church’s national religious organization in the country, was officially registered.

1997 • Salt Lake CityThe Book of Mormon was published in Ukrainian.

1997 • UkraineLatter-day Saints in Donetsk and Kyiv observed the Pioneer Sesquicentennial with outdoor celebrations, featuring a handcart transported across eastern Europe.

January 25, 1998 • Odesa, UkraineThe Odesa Ukraine District was organized with Vitaliy Chernega as president.

Donetsk Meetinghouse

June 28, 1998 • Donetsk

Elder Wayne M. Hancock of the Seventy dedicated the first Church-built meetinghouse in Ukraine.

July 20, 1998 • Salt Lake CityPlans to construct a temple in Kyiv were announced.

October 2000 • Salt Lake CityOleksandr Manzhos was called as the first Area Seventy from Ukraine.

September 9, 2002 • KyivChurch President Gordon B. Hinckley met with about 3,200 Latter-day Saints and guests gathered at the Palace “Ukraine” concert hall in Kyiv.

May 30, 2004 • KyivElder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles organized the Kyiv Ukraine Stake, the first stake in Ukraine. Volodymyr Kanchenko was called as president and Oleksiy Ivanenko as stake patriarch.

2005 • Salt Lake CityThe Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price were first published in Ukrainian along with a revised translation of the Book of Mormon.

August 29, 2010 • Sofiivska Borshchahivka, UkraineChurch President Thomas S. Monson dedicated the Kyiv Ukraine Temple, the first temple in Ukraine and eastern Europe.

September 12, 2011 • KyivThe Kyiv Ukraine Temple was named the best religious building constructed in Ukraine in 2010 by the Ukrainian Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services.

March–April 2014 • UkraineMissionaries were relocated from Eastern Ukraine due to civil unrest and conflict, leading to the closure of the Ukraine Donetsk Mission, then one of four missions in the country.

October 22, 2014 • UkraineThe Church signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine to facilitate the delivery of aid to refugees from conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

February 2016 • UkraineThe Church and the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine launched a project to assist vulnerable populations living in conflict zones in Eastern Ukraine.

February 28, 2016 • LvivThe Lviv Ukraine District was organized with Andriy Didushok as president.

September 2016 • UkraineLatter-day Saints across Ukraine celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Church in their country. Church representatives took part in a scholarly round table about the Church, held at the Hryhorii Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

August 5, 2018 • Uzhhorod, UkraineThe Uzhhorod Branch, the first branch in Transcarpathia, was organized.