Lawyer warns of planned seizure of UOC Ascension Church in Kyiv

The UOC Ascension Church in the Demiivka neighborhood of Kyiv. Photo: open sources

It has emerged that the official registry data on the head of a religious community in Kyiv was unlawfully altered on March 31, 2026. Instead of the lawful rector of the Ascension Church, Archpriest Pavel Kirilov, the register now lists Taras Ivanovych Pikus as the new head. This was reported by Archpriest Nikita Chekman on his Telegram channel.

According to the information available, this individual is a student at the OCU’s Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy and has not been ordained. At the same time, the community’s statute and its official confessional affiliation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church remain unchanged. The UOC’s lawyer stressed that there are absolutely no legal grounds for such a “change of leadership.”

An appeal to law enforcement authorities is now being prepared over the alleged use of knowingly forged documents. Such actions carry criminal liability under Article 205-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Lawyers are currently obtaining materials from the registration file held by the state registrar in order to challenge the unlawful actions.

The Holy Ascension Church in Demiivka is one of the capital’s leading spiritual centers. The parish never ceased its activity and was never closed even during the harshest years of Soviet persecution of the faith. The faithful are asking for holy prayers for Archpriest Pavel Kirilov and for all the parishioners of the community.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that prosecutors are trying to seize a UOC church in central Odesa through the courts.

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