Church Slavonic

The UOC says it has no objection to holding services in Ukrainian, but in Karyshkiv services were still held in Church Slavonic when Reuters visited.

One of the main complaints against the UOC by those wanting to switch denominations is that services are usually held in Church Slavonic.

Having sung in Church Slavonic for decades, most women in the Hrabivtsi church choir did not want to make the linguistic change, three residents said.

Others said they wanted to worship in their own language, not Church Slavonic used by the UOC - an archaic religious language with similarities to Russian.

KIRILLITSA: The alphabet based principally on the Greek uncials that was originally used for writing Old Church Slavonic.