Baranovka: Chronicles of the failed assault on UOC temple
An assault on the Church of the UOC of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Baranovka
On March 10, 2019, in the town of Baranovka, Zhitomir region, extraordinary events took place. Despite the fact that the large community of the UOC church unanimously expressed its loyalty to the UOC led by His Beatitude Onufriy, the local authorities organized another, territorially “patriotic” community, which includes town residents but not a single parishioner.
These people were provoked to storm and seize the temple.
On Forgiveness Sunday, the Radical Party deputy Oleg Kovalsky convened a town’s meeting (“veche”) on the main square, in which he called upon those gathered to take over the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. As a result, the crowd, fueled with “correct” incitement, rushed to the temple. Parishioners were beaten, dragged from the porch and thrown out of the church fence. At that time, about 150 parishioners locked inside after the Sunday Liturgy, many were with their children.
Though the raiders cut the doors with a grinder, they did not manage to break in. Late in the evening, the ruling bishop of the Zhitomir Eparchy, Metropolitan Nikodim, came to support his flock. The doors were welded back, the parishioners withstood the assault.
Read also
“The Savior isn’t a weakling”: On the new Christology from the OCU
The OCU “priest” Roman Hryshchuk has unveiled an entirely new vision of Christ – not the one to which everyone is accustomed. Yet this new “Christology” feels strangely familiar. What exactly does it resemble?
Patronal Feast with His Holiness
When the supernatural is placed at the service of political expediency.
Battle for UOC’s truth in America: Allies, opponents, and the growing clash
Meetings held by Orthodox clergy in the United States with members of Congress about the persecution of the UOC have caused a sharp backlash from lobbyists aligned with Zelensky and the OCU. What exactly is happening – and why does it matter?
Appeal to the Phanar: Justice served or justice subverted?
The "Tychikos case" makes plain that appeal becomes a farce when the guardian of justice turns into the enforcer of injustice.
Metropolitan Arseniy and "Mindichgate": A Tale of Two Justices
When corrupt officials are granted bail, but a bishop remains behind bars, the world should be asking: for whom does the law in Ukraine actually work?
Zelensky-style sanctions: "Mindich case" vs. "UOJ case"
10 years of sanctions for journalists for criticizing the authorities and 3 years for corrupt officials for stealing millions. A story about who and how is punished in modern Ukraine.