UOC releases video report about children expelled from Cherkasy cathedral

Children expelled from the St. Michael Cathedral in Cherkasy. Photo: a video screenshot from the Cherkasy Eparchy

The press service of the Cherkasy Eparchy of the UOC published a video report on June 11, 2025, in which parents and children talked about being deprived of the opportunity to attend the summer school and hold children's events at the St. Michael Cathedral of the city of Cherkasy.

After the seizure of the temple by OCU raiders, the children had to move to an adapted room.

"It's damp, dark, and there's very little space here. We miss our cathedral and want to return," says a student of the Sunday school.

Parents of the children recall how holidays, concerts, charity fairs, and workshops used to take place. For many years, the spiritual center united families and gave children the opportunity to join the Orthodox faith through creativity and prayer.

"It was our church, a place where we met, prayed, and felt God's support. Now we don't have that," the parents share.

The cathedral, which became a second home for the children and their families, turned out to be inaccessible to them. Believers express hope for the return of the shrine and the restoration of a full-fledged spiritual life.

The eparchy included a report from a local TV channel, where journalists stated that now "military chaplains rule in the church and teach children true history".

At the end of the tour of the shrine, the chaplain and children repeatedly shout: "Glory to the nation! Ukraine above all! Death to enemies!"

Earlier, the UOJ published footage of the empty seized cathedral in Cherkasy at Easter.

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