DESS: Return of St. Nicholas Church to RCC is restoration of justice
Yelensky at St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv. Photo: DESS
Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience called the transfer of St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv to the Catholic community “the restoration of historical justice,” the agency’s press service reports.
“The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience has consistently upheld and continues to uphold the need to return religious buildings and property expropriated by the communist regime to believers,” DESS said.
The agency stated that “the return of St. Nicholas Church has become an important milestone in the process of restoring historical justice and the violated rights of believers.” Why officials take a fundamentally opposite position toward the UOC is left unaddressed.
According to the DESS press service, on January 7, 2026, a ceremonial handover of the church took place. Those in attendance included Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Heads of the Office of the President Iryna Vereshchuk and Olena Kovalska, Member of Parliament Rostyslav Tystyk, Apostolic Nuncio Visvaldas Kulbokas, DESS head Yelensky.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv was handed over to the Catholic community for 50 years.
Read also
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry plans advocacy visits abroad for UCCRO
Members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations have planned advocacy visits abroad following a meeting with Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister.
UOC priest detained by recruitment officers in Kyiv sent to training ground
UOC priest Maksym Kostiuchenko, who was detained on his way to a church service in Kyiv, has been sent to a military training ground in Chernihiv Region.
25 tons of humanitarian aid from Volyn reach Sviatohirsk Lavra
Around 25 tons of food donated by believers of the UOC Volyn Eparchy arrived at Sviatohirsk Lavra on October 22.
UOC West European Vicariate holds children's camp in Germany
A children’s camp was held in the UOC’s Western Deanery in Germany from October 19 to 23.
Vinnytsia Metropolitan consecrates UOC Intercession church in Luka-Barska
Metropolitan Varsonofy consecrated the Church of the Intercession in Luka Barska, Vinnytsia Region, and celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the new church.
“Joy of All Who Sorrow” lower сhurch сonsecrated in Korosten
Metropolitan Nikodim of Zhytomyr and Novohrad-Volynskyi presided over the consecration of the church and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Church in Korosten.