Irpin City Council dismisses mayor who persecuted UOC
Oleksandr Markushyn. Photo: Markushyn's Facebook
The Irpin City Council in the Kyiv region voted on July 29, 2025, to terminate the powers of Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn. A majority of deputies voted no confidence in Markushyn, who, through illegal gatherings of outsiders in Irpin, "transferred" all UOC churches to the OCU. This was reported by "Suspilne".
The day before, the official wrote on Facebook that during the City Council session, the so-called raiders "are implementing another attempt to seize power in Irpin," trying to transfer the mayor's powers to the secretary.
Oleksandr Markushyn organized and supported the seizures of the Trinity, St. George's, St. Nicholas's, and Resurrection Churches of the UOC in the city, as well as St. Michael's Church in the suburb of Irpin - the village of Mykhailivka-Rubezhivka. Under his leadership, the Irpin City Council also appealed to Zelensky to ban the UOC.
As reported by the UOJ, on January 23, 2025, the Pechersk Court sent the mayor of Irpin to a pre-trial detention center until March 22, and he was suspended from office during this time. Markushyn was charged with illegal border crossing.
Moreover, in 2024, the mayor of Irpin was involved in corruption scandals. City deputies accused him of falsifying City Council decisions, embezzling the local budget through the registration of "dead souls," and kickbacks from the salaries of executive committee employees.
Read also
Sand for construction of Yermak’s residence brought from cemetery, MP says
MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said that sand illegally removed from a cemetery in Ukrainka was used in the construction of the elite Dynasty cooperative in Kozyn.
Italian court recognizes family with three parents as legal
In Bari, the appellate court ordered authorities to register an adoption according to which a child is listed as having two "fathers" and one mother.
Archaeologists discover biblical Bethsaida on shore of Sea of Galilee
Researchers have discovered a first-century residential house beneath the apse of a Byzantine church and a mosaic inscription mentioning the Apostle Peter.
Israeli soldiers receive jail terms for mocking statue of the Virgin Mary
Those involved in the act of sacrilege in the village of Debel will spend several weeks behind bars for desecrating a statue of the Mother of God.
Serbian Church officially receives back land of 15th-century monastery
An agreement was signed in Belgrade transferring the territory of the ancient Vojlovica Monastery to the Banat Eparchy.
Pat Daniel comments on conflict between Phanar bishop and community in Turkey
The Bulgarian Primate believes that the hierarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate should not have forced the Bulgarian community in Edirne to serve in Greek.