Two churches are taken from UOC in Kamyanets-Podilskyi

Exaltation of the Cross Church in Kamyanets-Podilskyi. Photo: zamki-kreposti.com.ua

Director of the Kamyanets National Historical and Architectural Reserve Vasyl Fentsura told suspilne.media that the UOC should vacate two churches – St. Nicholas and Holy Cross Exaltation, located on the territory of the reserve in Kamyanets-Podilskyi.

According to him, since 1991 the churches have been in the free use of the communities of the UOC by order of the Khmelnytsky Regional Executive Committee, but in October 2022 the UOC expired the term of additional agreements for free use, therefore, according to the procedure, the UOC must vacate and transfer the premises for property assessment and determination of the rental amounts.

However, the clergy of the UOC do not agree to leave the churches so far, Fentsura added.

“We knew that that our deal is no longer in force. We were informed that there should be an extension of the agreement, but in the end we were told that we had to sign an act of acceptance and transfer and give the temple back to the museum,” said the rector of the Exaltation of the Cross Church, priest Tarasy Tymkiv.

The priest has already received a lawsuit from the National Historical and Architectural Reserve "Kamyanets" for the forced release of the premises, but says that they are ready to pay the rent, as they do not want to leave the temple.

The same letter went to the rector of the St. Nicholas Church, Father Oleksiy Veresyuk.

The authorities are going to transfer the temples to the State Property Fund, which will accept the application for rent.

As the UOJ previously reported, the UOC community in Kolybayivka was illegally re-registered in favor of the OCU.

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