Organizers of procession to Bancheny Monastery fined

A religious procession to the Bancheny Monastery. Photo: UOJ

Chernivtsi region police fined the organizers of the annual procession to Bancheny Monastery on May 20-21, 2026, reports "Zakhid.net".

The religious procession went from Chernivtsi to Bancheny Monastery through the villages of Ostrytsia and Tsuren. Administrative protocols were drawn up against the organizers under Article 185 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses – for violation of the procedure for organizing assemblies and manifestations. The fine under this article is 450 hryvnias.

Press secretary of Chernivtsi region police Karolina Marysheva explained that law enforcement officers "documented the fact of organizing a religious procession." According to the police, in Ukraine under martial law conditions, conducting processions is restricted.

On this topic Vinnytsia region bans religious processions and pilgrimages until December

As the UOJ reported, thousands of people walked in procession to the Bancheny Monastery. The annual pilgrimage to monastery is one of the most massive in the Chernivtsi region. The UOC has repeatedly conducted processions during wartime despite imposed restrictions.

Read also

Patriarch Bartholomew convenes meeting of four Patriarchates

The Patriarch of Constantinople invited the primates of the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem to meet in Istanbul.

Patriarch Bartholomew: We await restoration of full communion with RCC

The Patriarch of Constantinople said he expects full communion with Catholics to be restored.

UOC commemorates Synaxis of All Saints of the Kherson Land

Metropolitan Ioann led the Liturgy on the feast of All Saints of the Kherson Land and the 30th anniversary of the glorification of Hieromartyr Prokopiy.

Serbian archimandrite calls Sviatohirsk monk’s murder a sin of Cain

Archimandrite Chrysostom (Nešić) reacted to the murder of Monk Varsonofiy at Sviatohirsk Lavra, calling it a “Cain-like crime.”

Congresswoman: I pray that Zelensky and Putin agree to U.S. peace plan

Anna Paulina Luna urged Zelensky and Putin to accept the peace plan proposed by Witkoff and Kushner to help bring the war in Ukraine to an end.

U.S. priest urges defense of UOC amid persecution

Fr. Zachariah Lynch criticized plans to honor Zelensky at St. Nicholas Church in New York and urged Orthodox Christians to speak out against the persecution of the UOC.