In Pryyutivka, court denies the OCU rights to the UOC community’s church

St George Church of the UOC in Pryyutivka. Photo: Suspilne Kropyvnytskyi

On August 14, 2025, another court case between representatives of the OCU and the Oleksandriia Eparchy of the UOC over St George Church in the urban-type settlement of Pryyutivka, Kirovohrad Oblast, concluded. The court did not recognize the rights of activists from Dumenko’s structure to the church and the parish’s property, the Telegram channel “Dozor” reports.

For about two years, OCU “raiders” have been trying to take the church away from Orthodox Christians. Supporters of Dumenko managed to falsify documents and “transfer” the parish to the OCU. Several times they attempted to mount a storming and seize the shrine.

The faithful succeeded in defending the house of God, after which a series of court proceedings began.

“The raiders terrorized the parishioners and demanded that believers be banned from being in the shrine,” Dozor comments.

In August 2025, the court partially satisfied the demands of the OCU representatives: it recognized as “valid” the documents on the right to use the land, which local officials had re-registered in the name of the offenders.

However, the court did not recognize the rights of Epiphaniy’s activists to the church itself and the parish’s property. The judge noted that they had failed to provide evidence of ownership rights to the shrine.

According to Dozor’s sources, the Oleksandriia Eparchy of the UOC will file an appeal against this decision and seek to have the OCU’s right to use the land declared unlawful.

As the UOJ reported, the UOC’s Kirovohrad and Oleksandriia eparchies are to be checked for “ties with the ROC.”

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