Ukraine. On 27 May 2022, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) formally cut ties and declared independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. Statistics on the number of parishes may be more reliable and consistent, even though they may not necessarily directly translate into the numbers of adherents. By number of parishes and quantity of church buildings, the UOC(MP)'s strong base is central and north-western Ukraine. However, percentage wise (with respect to rival Orthodox Churches) its share of parishes there varies from 60 to 70 percent. At the same time, by percentage alone (with respect to rival Orthodox Churches) the UOC(MP)'s share of church buildings peaks in the urban russophone southern and eastern Ukrainian provinces, being as high as 90%. The same can be said about Transcarpathia, although there the UOC(MP)'s main rival is the Greek Catholic Church and thus its share of total church buildings is only 40%. The capital Kyiv is where the greatest Orthodox rivalry takes place, with the UOC(MP) holding about half of the Orthodox communities there. The only places where the UOC(MP) is a true minority, in both quantity, percentage and support are the former Galician provinces of Western Ukraine. There the total share of parishes does not exceed more than five percent. Upon declaring its independence from the Moscow Patriachate, the UOC began creating new parishes in Western Europe to serve Ukrainian refugees. By the end of 2022, 32 such parishes had been organized, and Bishop Veniamin (Voloshchuk) of Boyar was appointed to oversee the new diaspora parishes. One UOC parish exists in North America and predates the war: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Old Believers Traditionally the Ukrainian clergy, following the annexation of Kyivan Metropolia, were one of the main sources of opposition to the Old Believer schism which took place at the time, under Patriarch Nikon. None of the Ukrainian parishes followed the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church. Although in 1905 the Tsar's decree on freedom of religion allowed the Old Believers church to reform, it gained little support in Ukraine. Presently, however the Old Believer community very much exploited the politicised schism in Ukrainian Orthodoxy and, as of 2004, number 53 communities scattered throughout Ukraine, with one of the biggest in Vylkove. Catholic Church Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Abbreviated as the UGCC, and originally formed from the Union of Brest in 1596, the Church was outlawed by the