OCU activist stages provocation during UOC service in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi

OCU activist disrupts service near the UOC Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi. Photo: Dozor

On April 12, 2025, Lazarus Saturday, Orthodox Christians prayed near the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands of the Cherkasy Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi, a church that had previously been seized by OCU raiders. According to the Dozor Telegram channel, one activist attempted to disrupt the service, provoking the faithful.

UOC parishioners have been holding outdoor services in front of their church every Saturday for nearly a year. Local OCU activists regularly attempt to interfere with their worship. The faithful are often forced to pray while enduring a barrage of insults and curses.

During the Lazarus Saturday service, one activist stood near the makeshift altar and lit a cigarette. He then began extinguishing the candles lit by the worshippers—continuing to do so even after they had been relit.

UOC believers were forced to call the police, and only after that were they able to finish the service in peace.

As the UOJ previously reported, the persecuted community in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi recently held the Standing of the Virgin Mary service near their church.

Read also