In Pereiaslav, efforts made to ban UOC services in houses and basements

Closed gates of St. Michael's Church in Pereiaslav, Kyiv region. Photo: Proslav.info

On September 7, 2025, regional media of the city of Pereiaslav (Kyiv region) demanded to prohibit the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, deprived of their churches by OCU supporters, from conducting services in adapted premises. This was reported by the portal Proslav.info.

The authors of the publication claim that in this way, the UOC communities allegedly violate sanitary norms and fire safety rules. Moreover, according to them, the law "On Freedom of Conscience" generally "prohibits the conduct of religious events in unadapted premises".

The material mentions the rector of St. Michael's Church, Archimandrite Antony (Ponomarenko), and the dean of the first Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi church district, Archimandrite Nil (Semenets), who, according to the authors, “have decided to continue performing rituals by any means and, de facto, anywhere, even without official permissions and proper preparation of the premises.”

At the same time, the publication is silent about the fact that both churches - St. Michael's and Holy Trinity - were previously seized by OCU supporters with the assistance of local authorities.

“Reports come from all corners of Ukraine about cases when clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) conduct services, baptisms, or other rituals in places completely unsuitable for this purpose (in private homes, garages, basements, and sometimes even in commercial premises). Pereiaslav also has something to ‘boast’ about,” notes the author of the article.

The authors of the article assert: “Freedom of religion does not mean the absence of rules. Holding services in basements, apartments, or storage facilities is not only a violation of the law but also a direct threat to people’s lives. The clergy must care not only for the spiritual well-being of the faithful but also for their safety.”

Let us recall that earlier, the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), Viktor Yelensky, stated that even after the liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the expropriation of its property, the state would not be able to restrict the right of believers to gather for prayer, without having registration and religious buildings.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Metropolitan Pimen served the Liturgy in a Khorov home after the church seizure.

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