Metropolitan to Cherkasy mayor: When justice returns – you will answer

Anatoliy Bondarenko. Illustration for an article on the corruption of the Cherkasy mayor. Photo: umoloda.kyiv.ua

The press service of the Cherkasy Eparchy published yet another conversation with the mayor of Cherkasy, Anatoliy Bondarenko, which took place in the narthex of St. Andrew's Church of the UOC. On May 6, 2025, the police, under the direction of the official, seized the church. Metropolitan Theodosiy (Snigirev) warned Bondarenko that all his actions are being recorded and that when the rule of law returns to the country, he will have to answer for them.

The Metropolitan pointed out that the mayor is acting unlawfully, feeling immune from consequences, but that this could change.

"Right now, you are dividing society, destroying the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has done nothing wrong," said the Metropolitan. "Do you really not understand this?"

In response, Bondarenko stated that, on the contrary, he believes the state's actions against the Church are extremely lenient—"it should be handled more harshly."

"Anatoliy Vasyliovych, maybe you don't realize this, maybe you truly believe what you're saying, but you are currently destroying not only our society but also our country. If our country collapses due to the actions of people like you, the responsibility will fall on you. You must understand this," the hierarch tried to reason with the city leader.

The mayor agreed: "I understand that the responsibility is on me."

Concluding the dialogue, the UOC hierarch warned Anatoliy Bondarenko: "Do you think banditry will continue to flourish in Ukraine? It won't. If justice returns, you will answer for it. And we will record everything from today. You could have stolen quietly and not fought against God."

As reported by the UOJ, Bondarenko has long been accused of corruption. Back in 2017, the prosecutor's office charged him under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Abuse of Power” due to illegal enrichment amounting to several million. Reports about this were published in the nationwide Suspilne. Prior to that, local journalists from Lakmus and 1800 relentlessly questioned the mayor about his vast estate on the banks of the Dnipro, for which he had acquired land at bargain prices.

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