Ternopil authorities request DESS to check Pochaiv Lavra for ties to Moscow
Pochaiv Lavra. Photo: Lavra website
On July 23, 2025, deputies of the Ternopil Regional Council supported an appeal to the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) requesting an investigation into potential affiliation of UOC monasteries in Ternopil Region with structures of the Moscow Patriarchate, including the Pochaiv Lavra.
The appeal was supported by 47 deputies.
The document mentions three religious institutions: the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra, the Holy Spirit Monastery of the Ternopil Eparchy of the UOC, and the Theophany Convent of the same eparchy.
Recall that in March 2023, the OCU established an organization under the name “Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra of the Ternopil Eparchy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” appointing the same Pysyk as its “archimandrite.” The OCU has not clarified how this entity corresponds with existing legal structures or where it is to be physically located.
As previously reported by the UOJ, the head of the UGCC, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, stated that following the “demoscowization” of Pochaiv Lavra, the authorities should also take his Church into account.
Read also
Volodymyr-Volynskyi Eparchy marks 30 years since restoration
The Pantanassa Icon and relics of Prince Volodymyr have arrived in Kovel and will visit churches across the Volodymyr-Volynskyi Eparchy to mark the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the episcopal see.
Bukovyna faithful bring humanitarian aid to Kherson region residents
The UOC’s Chernivtsi Eparchy delivered food to Holy Spirit Cathedral in Kherson.
Ukraine must have its own faith: Poroshenko's party lays out peace terms
Poroshenko’s party European Solidarity described church policy as a matter of national sovereignty and said there can be no compromises in this area.
432 UOC churches damaged in Ukraine during war, report says
According to the Religion on Fire project, 807 religious buildings in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities.
DESS official gives number of clergy exempt from mobilization in Ukraine
A DESS representative said the actual number of clergy exempt from mobilization is significantly lower than the number of religious organizations designated as critical.
Cabinet keeps gas prices unchanged for religious organizations
The Cabinet has fixed gas prices for religious organizations through the end of the 2026–2027 heating season.