UOC wins appeal in case over Transfiguration Monastery in Kniazhychi

Transfiguration Monastery in Kniazhychi. Photo: FB page of the monastery

On May 21, 2026, the UOC won its appeal in the case concerning the land and property of the Transfiguration Monastery in Kniazhychi, Kyiv region, the UOC Information and Education Department reported.

The dispute arose from decisions adopted by the Brovary City Council and its executive committee in the autumn of 2022. At that time, local authorities terminated the religious community’s right to permanent use of the land plot and leased non-residential buildings to outside entities.

On August 29, 2025, the Commercial Court of Kyiv Region fully upheld the claim filed by the community of the Transfiguration Monastery of the Boryspil Eparchy, declaring those acts unlawful.

At the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal in Kyiv, the judges left that ruling unchanged and dismissed the city council’s appeal. The court also rejected arguments concerning alleged restrictions on UOC religious organizations, noting that the monastery community is a separate legal entity and does not fall under the cited prohibitions.

As previously reported by the UOJ, a court in Kniazhychi confirmed the eviction of a UOC community from the monastery. The Kniazhychi monastery case remains one of the key property disputes between religious communities and local self-government bodies in the Kyiv region. The appellate court’s ruling establishes a legal position on the need to follow proper procedures when changing the status of church land and real estate.

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