The Christian People’s Union party (the ChPU) was established in Kyiv on February 8, 1997. In the year 2003, the Christian Democratic Party of Ukraine, Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party and the All-Ukraine Union of Chrisitans joined the ChPU, and the decision on changing the party’s name to the Christian Democratic Union was adopted. That was the time, when the Program of Development of Ukrainian Society was formed along with the principles of activity of the Christian Democrats in Ukraine.

The Christian understanding of the human became the ethical basis for the CDU’s policy. Personality is the centre of the CDU’s philosophy. The party recognizes every human to be unique and inviolable personality irrespective of nationality, political and religious convictions, and property status.

The CDU’s key values are:

• Equality realized in providing equal possibilities and conditions for all and everyone in realization one’s personality, in providing human rights and freedoms;
• Responsibility as an obligation to answer for own actions;
• Solidarity realized in care and mutual assistance.

In a year after establishment, the CDU gained around 500 votes at the parliamentary elections of the year 1998. The CDU started cooperation with the Christian democratic parties of Germany, Holland, Italy, Sweden, the GB, and other European countries.

In 2011, the party has become an active participant of the Election Bloc of Viktor Yushchenko Our Ukraine and an independent political force in the next 2002 year. Two deputies from the CDU were elected to the VR of the IV convocation: Volodymyr Stretovych and Anton Ruzhytskyi.

On December 2, 2002 the Christian Democratic Union became a full member of the Centrist Democrat International, the international organization of political parties and organizations which based upon principles of Christian humanism.

April 12, 2003 is considered to be a life-changing date for the Christian Democrats of year. That day, the VI early congress of the party took place: the Christian Democratic Party of Ukraine, Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party and the All-Ukraine Union of Chrisitans joined the ChPU, and the decision on changing the party’s name to the Christian Democratic Union was adopted. That was the first time in Ukraine’s history when Christian democrats united in one party aiming at development and promoting ideas of the Christian democracy.

In 2004, the CDU takes active part in the Orange Revolution. Members and proponents of the party, together with the other political forces, defend democratic rights and freedoms of the citizens.

After the political events, the CDU continued developing social projects. Thus, 2005, the CDU Youth initiated the Chose Life all-Ukraine social project. Representatives of the authorities, public organizations, and international institutions conducted a large-scale Information campaign for the youth concerning HIV/AIDS and prevention drug addiction in Ukraine.

The parliamentary and local elections of the year 2006, the CDU, within the Our Ukraine Bloc, delegates three people's deputies to the VR of Ukraine and receives over 600 posts in the local government bodies.

The year 2007 was marked by conducting the first forum of local deputies of all levels, which concerned urgent problems of local politics, and by start of the party action Clean City – Pure Mind, which is now conducted annually before Easter.

In 2008, the CDU initiated establishment of the Public Council for Cooperation with Churches and religious Organizations under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. That year, the CDU also organized the international conference “Christian Democracy in the Post-Soviet Society: Values and Prospects”, and Volodymyr Stretovych and Volodymyr Marushchenko, the CDU representatives in the Verkhovna Rada, initiated establishment of the prayer group of MPs.

The CDU activity acquired recognition from the international European Christian democratic institutions. On June 12, 2009, the CDU was accepted to the European Christian Political Movement.

In autumn 2009, following the initiative of the CDU of Ukraine, the second international conference at the Bureau level in Armenia, which resulted in signing the document on establishing the Association of Christian Democrats of Eastern Europe. Khosrov Arutunian, head of the CDU of Armenia, was elected head of the Association; while Yuriy Reshetnikov, deputy head of the CDU, was elected Executive Secretary of the organization.

Today, the party has regional organizations in 24 regions of Ukraine, the cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol, and the ARC. It joins over 24 thousand of party members from all parts of Ukraine.

In 2010, five MPs joined the party and the CDU obtained own representative in the VR – the Right of Choice MP group.

On September 11, 2010 at the XIII special congress of the CDU, a life-changing decision was taken. For the first time in Ukrainian politics, the party renounced the wide-spread practice of individual leadership and introduced a new model of collective management. According to the changes, the party’s Assembly and Board became managing bodies between the party’s congresses.

The above-mentioned congress resulted also in the decision on the CDU’s independent participation in local elections. The party went to the elections declaring maximum depolitization of local self-government.

At the electins-2010, the party brought to office 160 of its representatives, among which were as follows: 20 deputies of city councils; 43 deputies of regional councils; and 96 deputies of village councils; Vasyl Savchuk appointed mayor of Bila Tserkva (Kyiv region); Oleksandr Pinayev appointed mayor of Henichesk (Kherson region); 8 heads of villages; one head of village council. The CDU gained the biggest support in Vinnytsia and Kherson regions.

Today, the party’s activity is concentrated upon popularization of the ideas of Christian democracy and charity, social work with youth and development of relations with European parties, as well as development of inter-confession dialogues, support of cultural and ecological initiatives, and development of local self-governance.