Kiev Patriarchate makes up how to legalize the seizure of St. Vladimir’s Cathedral

The PRIVÈ advocacy association will legalize land documents of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kiev in favor of the UOC-KP, writes Politeka.

As reported, lawyers for half a year have been engaged in the restoration of land documents lost in 1938.
"The PRIVÈ advocacy association has an official agreement on maintenance, consulting and legal support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate," says PRIVÉ Managing Partner Yevgeniy Kramarenko. "Now the documents have been submitted to the State Fiscal Service and the municipal property department."
St. Vladimir's Cathedral has no documents to the land under the temple – they were lost in 1938.

In 1852, Metropolitan Philaret of Kiev and Galich (Amfiteatrov) in his letter to the Emperor of all-Russian Nicholas I suggested a large cathedral should be built in Kiev to commemorate Grand Prince of Kiev Vladimir Sviatoslavich (St. Vladimir).

On September 1 (August 20) in 1896, in the presence of the imperial family, dignitaries, higher clergy and clerics, Metropolitan Ioanniki of Kiev (Rudnev) consecrated St. Vladimir's Cathedral.

In 1929, the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee approved the decision to close the cathedral and turn it into an anti-religious museum.

After the liberation of Kiev in 1944 St. Vladimir’s Cathedral became the main church of the Kiev Metropolitan See of the Ukrainian Exarchate. In 1988, the celebrations dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus were held in the cathedral.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, St Vladimir's Cathedral ownership became an issue of controversy between two denominations – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church the newly established Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, which, ultimately, won the control over the cathedral. In 1995, the Council of the schismatic Kiev Patriarchate, where Philaret was elected as its head, was held at St. Vladimir's Church. The Council was not recognized by any of the Local Orthodox Churches.

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