Volyn deputies call to verify UOC's right to use church in Hishyn

St. Demetrius Church in Hishyn. Photo: open sources

At a session of the Volyn Regional Council, deputies supported a request to verify the rights of the UOC community to the St. Demetrius Church in the village of Hishyn, local media report. This wooden church was built back in 1567 and is considered an architectural monument of national significance.

Deputy Ivan Mirka initiated the audit. He could not find publicly available documents that give the community the right to use this building, which prompted him to call for an inspection. Now the authorities want to find out whether the Church signed protection agreements and whether believers changed the appearance of the ancient monument without permission.

In addition to the church itself, the deputy was interested in construction on the adjacent territory. Mirka claims that near the Turia River, the community erected new buildings and dug an artificial reservoir. The deputies asked officials and environmentalists to check whether these works are legal and whether they violate nature protection rules. The request has already been sent to the mayor of Kovel, to the regional administration and relevant inspections.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that MP Huz demanded to "intensify the cleansing" of Volyn from UOC communities.

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