Zhytomyr RSA reports on re-registration of 16 UOC churches to OCU

Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration emblem. Photo from open sources

On August 18, 2025, the Zhytomyr RMA announced the re-registration of 16 UOC communities in favor of the OCU in 2025, reports the resource «Suspilne. Zhytomyr».

The publication specifies that on the air of “Ukrainian Radio Zhytomyr,” the information about re-registrations was provided by Oleksandr Pyvovarsky, the chief specialist of the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and Religions of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration. According to him, since 2019, the administration has re-registered 134 communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

"The trend is as follows: in 2019, there were 13 transitions, in 2020 – 8, in 2021 – 1, in 2022 – 36, in 2023 – 41, in 2024 – 19, and in 2025 as of August – 16 transitions. But in reality, there have been many more transitions. The fact is that there are two types of transitions. One type of transition, which is reflected in this statistic, is when there is a change of denomination, the transition of a UOC parish in spiritual communion with the Moscow Patriarchate to the OCU," the official noted.

It was previously reported that more than half of Ukrainian citizens do not support interference in the internal life of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological study conducted by the SOCIS Center in June 2025.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Chernihiv RSA reported the seizure of 37 UOC churches in favor of the OCU.

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