Abbess of Baturyn convent details invasion of law enforcers into shrine

Abbess of the UOC monastery in Baturyn Dorofeya, reserve officials and police. Photo: SPJ Collage

Abbess Dorothea of the Krupitsky St. Nicholas Convent of the Chernihiv Eparchy of the UOC in Baturyn spoke about the seizure of the convent by officials of the National Historical and Cultural Reserve "Hetman Capital" with the participation of police officers on January 27, 2026. The video was published by Telegram channel "Dozor".

According to Abbess Dorothea, representatives of the Baturyn Reserve arrived at the monastery with armed police officers. They demanded that the nuns "voluntarily" transfer property and leave the premises, but the residents refused to sign any documents.

After this, the law enforcers sealed the cells and utility buildings, including those that belong to the convent and are not part of state facilities. The nuns were thrown out into the cold, and the doors to the church were broken down.

Convent representatives stated that the actions took place without a court decision and prior notification. The sisters were left without access to the church and one of the buildings where they lived.

The abbess emphasized that the convent was restored by the nuns from ruins.

"My convent was always small in number. There were five of us, one went to the Lord, and now there are four of us. And these 5 nuns — we raised this monastery from ruins... And everything we were able to do in this life has now ended up in the hands of strangers," she said.

The nuns found shelter in the abbess's small building, and Mother Dorothea refused to sign any of their documents.

Abbess Dorothea appealed to the President and Congress of the USA with a request to stop the lawlessness against Orthodox believers.

"I will not go anywhere. And my sisters will not leave because this is our home. This is the place of our rest, our humble labors," she noted.

As the UOJ reported, Abbess Serafima appealed to the premier regarding the eviction of nuns in Baturyn.

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