MinCulture transfers to OCU Crimean building housing “Ministry of Property”

Kliment Kushch and Deputy Culture Minister Ivan Verbytskyi. Photo: Facebook

On March 18, 2026, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture legally formalized the transfer to the OCU of the building at 17 Sevastopolska Street in Simferopol, where the Cathedral of Saints Vladimir and Olga had previously been located. The relevant agreement, valid until 2075, was signed between the state enterprise “Crimean House” and the diocesan administration of Dumenko’s structure. In a Facebook post, the Ministry said that the decision officially legalizes the building’s status as the OCU’s “main shrine” on the peninsula and would assist in international court proceedings.

The situation was commented on by Archbishop Jonah of the UOC, who remarked ironically that the Ministry’s decision was not bold enough.

“They should immediately transfer to the OCU St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Chersonesos as well. And along with it, the cathedrals in Simferopol, Yalta, and other major cities of Crimea. What a timid Ministry of Culture. Apparently, it’s afraid of Putin,” the hierarch wrote on Facebook.

At the same time, the situation surrounding the building is complicated by the fact that it is under the control of the Russian authorities in Crimea and is physically inaccessible to OCU representatives. The premises, covering more than 1,475 square meters, are occupied by the “Ministry of Property and Land Relations of Crimea.” In May 2023, the Russian authorities confiscated the property after the OCU community refused to re-register its documents under local legislation.

It is also notable that “Metropolitan” Kliment Kushch, who heads the Crimean diocese of the OCU, is a citizen of the Russian Federation and holds a Russian passport. Earlier, Kushch explained why he obtained Russian citizenship. According to him, had he not done so, he “would have lost all property, not only church property but also [his] personal property” located in Crimea.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Kushch, Crimea will hardly become Ukrainian again.

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