"Icons" of businessmen painted over in Lutsk Cathedral of OCU

The results of the commission's work in Lutsk will be presented at the upcoming meeting of the "Synod" of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). Photo: OCU

Following the scandal around the frescoes in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the OCU in Lutsk, which depicted the "icons" of local businessmen, a commission from the Church visited the temple on 10 December. According to a post on the Facebook page of the Volyn Eparchy of the OCU, the commission confirmed that the controversial frescoes were no longer present on the cathedral's walls.

"The commission studies the situation regarding the frescoes that caused media reaction and had a wide public resonance. The commission members confirmed that these frescoes are no longer on the cathedral's walls," the statement reads.

It is noted that "a discussion also took place on this matter", and "the results of the commission’s work will be presented at the upcoming meeting of the Synod".

As previously reported by the UOJ, at the OCU “Synod” meeting on November 7, a decision was made to create a commission to investigate the incident involving the frescoes that depicted businessmen. Later, in Lutsk, the portraits of Volyn businessmen Viktor Chornukha, Leontiy Ivanishyn, Yevhen Dudka, and MP Ihor Palytsia were painted over in the upper church of the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The head of the Volyn Eparchy of the OCU, Mykhailo Zinkevych, promised to reconsider the approach to honoring the temple's benefactors.

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