Ministry of Culture turns to UNESCO over demolition of OCU church in Crimea

Acting Minister of Culture Rostyslav Karandeyev. Photo: Screenshot from Ukrinform

Acting Minister of Culture Rostyslav Karandeyev announced that the Ministry of Culture had sent a note to UNESCO regarding the demolition of an OCU church in Yevpatoria, as reported by Suspilne.

Karandeyev stated that the demolished church was a place of worship and an architectural object, albeit a relatively recent one. Its demolition is perceived as an inhumane act and a "deliberate act of eradicating Ukrainian faith and the Ukrainian idea from Crimea."

"We have sent the appropriate note to UNESCO and the international community. We have documented this act as much as possible – unfortunately, still under conditions of remote monitoring – as one of the manifestations of genocide, specifically religious genocide by Russia. It has been added as further evidence in the future claim against the Russian Federation for the significant damages caused in Ukraine (in temporarily occupied territories)," Karandeyev said.

He also mentioned that UNESCO is assisting the Ministry of Culture in aligning Ukrainian legislation with international standards.

As previously reported by the UOJ, on the night of May 16-17, authorities in Kyiv demolished the Tithes Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Read also

In Spain, murderer moved to women's prison after claiming to be female

A Spaniard convicted of a series of brutal murders has secured a transfer to a women's prison allegedly based on a change of gender identity.

Georgian Patriarchate warns about fake social media pages

The Georgian Orthodox Church has stated that unknown individuals are using official symbols to create fake social media pages.

Court extends round-the-clock house arrest for Metropolitan Arseniy

The Chechelivsky Court of Dnipro left the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra under house arrest and allowed him to attend medical procedures without separate permission.

OCU shows number of parishioners in seized church of Bezuhlivka

About 15 people with flags stood at the first "service" at St. Michael's Church after the seizure.

In Kyiv, OCU and UGCC сhaplains given an introductory tour of synagogue

Ukraine’s chief rabbi said that clergy of the OCU, UGCC, and RCC familiarized themselves with Jewish tradition at a synagogue.

OCU outraged that Lepliavo parish removed church property before seizure

The Cherkasy Eparchy of the OCU complained that after the fake “transfer” in Lepliavo, UOC faithful left them nothing but bare walls.