Radomyshl City Council wants to seize St. Nicholas Cathedral of UOC through court

The St. Nicholas Cathedral of the UOC in Radomyshl (Zhytomyr region). Photo: zhitomir

On April 20, 2026, the Radomyshl City Council filed a lawsuit against the religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church demanding recognition of the city's right to communal ownership of St. Nicholas Cathedral, reports Zhitomir.info.

The Economic Court of the Zhytomyr Region opened proceedings on the case on April 4. The lawsuit states that the cathedral is a cultural heritage site of local significance and is located on a land plot of communal ownership, however, the ownership rights to the temple itself are not formalized, due to which it has been registered as ownerless property.

The City Council claims that the absence of a legally established owner prevents the conclusion of a protection agreement, as well as conducting full-scale maintenance and repair of the architectural monument.

The St. Nicholas Cathedral was built in the late 19th century and consecrated on November 13, 1883. The temple is an important shrine for the local community of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who have been conducting divine services in it for many years and consider it their spiritual home.

Earlier, in 2023, inspections were conducted in the cathedral, after which it was sealed and effectively remained without a defined legal status, which became the basis for the current legal proceedings.

It is noted that in the Zhytomyr region there are dozens of objects and land plots used by religious communities of the UOC. In 2022, local authorities also demanded that communities vacate temples in case of disagreement with changing church jurisdiction, which caused concern among believers.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the court ordered the transfer of keys from the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Vetly to OCU reps, recognizing the actions of the rector of the UOC community as an obstacle to access to church property.

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