Kyiv City Council is considering a project to demolish 74 UOC churches

Klitschko communicates with Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: UOC

The Kyiv City Council is considering a draft resolution titled "On the Features of Clearing Unauthorized Occupied and Constructed Religious Organizations (Associations) Whose Leading Center (Management) Is Located Outside Ukraine in a State Recognized by Law as Having Committed Military Aggression Against Ukraine and/or Temporarily Occupied Part of the Territory of Ukraine, or Which Have Canonical and Prayerful Ties with Religious Organizations of the Aggressor Country, of Communal Property Land Plots of the Territorial Community of the City of Kyiv," reports the KCC website.

The draft is authored by Vadym Vasylchuk, a deputy from the "Voice" faction.

The draft resolution states that the Department of Land Resources of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA), together with district state administrations, must conduct a three-month verification of land plots currently in use by the UOC and determine the legality of church constructions on them. In case it is found that these churches lack the necessary permits, the land plots should be "restored to their previous state," and the churches should be demolished "at the expense of individuals who allowed unauthorized placement or construction."

If the religious communities refuse, the city will demolish the churches itself, with the costs to be billed to the religious communities.

The draft resolution justifies this action by stating that "currently, there are numerous facts and cases when the interests of certain religious organizations adhering to certain beliefs are contrary to public interests, pose a threat to public and national security, and the actions of individual representatives of these religious organizations contain signs of criminal offenses, causing outrage and wide negative public resonance."

The author of the project claims that "the adoption and implementation of this project will contribute to the promotion of harmony and peace on religious grounds, interfaith dialogue, and unity in society, ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens, including the determination of canonical affiliation, and preventing conflicts on religious grounds within the territorial community of the city of Kyiv."

The project is currently under consideration by the Permanent Commission of the Kyiv City Council on Architecture, Urban Planning, and Land Relations, as well as the Permanent Commission on Culture, Tourism, and Public Communications.

The Kyiv City State Administration has attached a list of UOC churches subject to verification and potential demolition.

1. Bohoyavlensky Temple, 9 Sviatoslava Khorobroho Street.
2. Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 17A Academician Hlushkova Avenue.
3. Resurrection Academic Church in Pechersk, 27 Lavrska Street.
4. Resurrection Church, 17 Lavrska Street
5. Vvedenska Church, 27/44 Pochayninska Street.
6. St. Andrew-Vladimir Cathedral, 3 Zaliznychne Shosse Street.
7. Church of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, 21 Ivana Kramskoho Street.
8. Resurrection Church of the "Word-Bearing" (at Baikove Cemetery), 16 Baikova Street.
9. Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Pantanassa" (at the 9th Hospital), 1 Ryzka Street.
10. Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Helper in Childbirth," 16 Ivasyuka Street.
11. Church of Apostle Luke (in the Kyiv Department of Medical Support at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Hospital), 19 Maiborody Street.
12. Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, 21a Honhadze Avenue.
13. Church of St. Catherine (at Lukianivka Cemetery), 7/3 Dorohozhytska Street.
14. Church of St. New Martyrs and Confessors of the Orthodox Faith, 7 Dorohozhytska Street.
15. Church of St. Catherine, 10 Pryorska Street.
16. Church of St. George the Victorious, 3 Dzherelny Lane.
17. Church of St. George the Victorious (MVD Hospital), 1 Berdychivska Street.
18. Church of St. Panteleimon (Kyiv City Clinical Hospital for Veterans), 26 Fedora Maksymenka Street.
19. Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, 86-88 Sichevykh Striltsiv Street.
20. Temple Complex in Honor of the Nativity of Christ, 3b Shumskoho Street.
21. Exaltation of the Holy Cross Church in Podil, 1a Vozdvyzhenska Street.
22. Chapel in Honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, 1a Vozdvyzhenska Street.
23. Church of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God (at the Neurosurgery Research Institute), 32 Maiborody Street.
24. Church of St. Theodore the Sanctified, 7 Ovrutska Street.
25. Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 42 Mykoly Yunkerova Street.
26. Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist (Zvirynets Cemetery), 21/1 Verkhnia Street.
27. Church of the Nativity of Christ, 5a Obolonska Naberezhna Street.
28. Church of the Nativity of Christ, 23 Shchusieva Street.
29. Church of St. Lazarus the Four-Day (Sovske Cemetery), 6 Koloskova Street.
30. Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian (Diagnostic Center of Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 8), 8a Yuriya Kondratyuka Street.
31. Church of Holy Royal Martyrs (Kyiv City Children's Clinical Hospital No. 1), 20 Bohatyrska Street.
32. Church of St. Demetrius of Rostov, 6 Shchekavytska Street.
33. Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, 6/8 Shchekavytska Street.
34. Church of St. Luke of Crimea, Holy Agapitus (in Bahrjanov Park), 40-B Peremohy Avenue (38 Peremohy Avenue).
35. Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Reception-Redistribution Center for Children of the NP of Ukraine in Kyiv), 14 Bondarsky Lane.
36. Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on the Waters, 8 Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska Street.
37. Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Z Yurkivska Street.
38. Church in Honor of the Icon of the Mother of God, 12a Shchuseva Street.
39. Church of St. Peter Mohyla, 20a Akademika Hrekova Street.
40. Church of St. Theodosius of Chernihiv, 6/10 Kyianivskyi Lane.
41. Church of St. Luke, Archbishop of Crimea (on the territory of the Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Center for Endocrine Surgery, Transplantation of Endocrine Organs and Tissues of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine), 13a Klovskyi Uzviz.
42. Church of St. Apostle and Evangelist Mark, 2a Honore de Balzac Street.
43. Church of St. Martyr Tryphon, Serzha Lifaria Street.
44. Church of St. Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg (Sviatoshyn Cemetery), 14a Kiltseva Doroha Street.
45. Church of St. Great Martyr Barbara, 1a Zahorivska Street.
46. Resurrection Cathedral, 3 Zaliznychne Shosse Street.
47. Holy Protection Church (Priorka), 2a Mostytskyi Lane.
48. Transfiguration Church of the Lord, 68 Avtozavodska Street.
49. Transfiguration of the Lord Church, 81 Yuriia Illienka Street.
50. Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov the Wonderworker, 47h Vyshhorodska Street.
51. Church of the Prophet Elijah, 2 Pochainynska Street.
52. Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Helper in Childbirth" (Maternity Hospital No. 4), 16 Volodymyra Ivashuka Avenue.
53. Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (Babyn Yar), Hertsena Lane.
54. Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Bogoliubska," 23 Dehtiarivska Street.
55. Church of St. John the Warrior, 30 7th Line (on the territory of the Sanatorium "Hospital for War Veterans "Lisova Poliana").
56. Church of St. Martyr Raisa of Alexandria (Darnytske Cemetery), 1a Teplovozna Street.
57. Church of St. Tatiana, 37a Pryrichna Street.
58. Church in Honor of the Resurrection of Christ, 4a Raiduzhna Street.
59. Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (Berkovets Cemetery), 18 Stetsenko Street.
60. Church of the Vilno-Ostrobromska Icon of the Mother of God, entrance from Bulvarno-Kudriavska Street, 20 Volodymyra Vynnychenka Street.
61. Resurrection of Christ Church (Forest Cemetery), 6/18 Krajnia Street, (Plot 18).
62. All Saints Church (Forest Cemetery), 3 Kraynia Street.
63. Church in Honor of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, Bohatyrska Street, 20.
64. Church of the Archistrategos Michael and Other Heavenly Hosts without Bodies, 6a Akademika Strazheska Street.
65. Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, 160 Kyrylivska Street, Building A.
66. Church in Honor of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, 54a Oleksandra Brynzhaly Street.
67. Church of the Archistrategos Michael, Lubomyra Huzara Avenue, 24.
68. Church of the Archistrategos Michael (MVD Hospital), 85a Vyshhorodska Street.
69. Church of Prince Alexander Nevsky, Simyi Kulzhenkiv Street, 22.
70. Church in Honor of St. Ioasaph of Belgorod, Stetsenka Street, 12.
71. Holy Trinity Church, 4 Zhilianska Street.
72. St. Makariyevsky Church, 46 Stara Polyana Street.
73. Church of St. Theodore the Sanctified, 7 Ovrutska Street.
74. Intercession Cathedral, 5a Pryrichna Street.

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