<span style="color: #222222;">In a historic move, the recently formed Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been granted independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The spiritual head of the global Orthodox Church signed an official decree at St George's cathedral in Istanbul today. Istanbul is considered as the spiritual headquarters of Orthodox Christianity. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was also present at the ceremony. He said that the move will open a new era in Orthodox history. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The decree will be brought back to Ukraine tomorrow on the ocassion of the Orthodox Christmas Eve. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In December last year, Ukrainian Orthodox leaders had agreed on the creation of a new national Orthodox church. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The drive for Ukrainian Orthodox independence intensified in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and Russia-backed separatists seized a big swathe of territory in eastern Ukraine.</span><br />''