Official complains that believers are defending monastery in Kremenets

Epiphany Monastery in Kremenets. Photo: open sources

The director of the Kremenets-Pochaiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve, Vasyl Ilchyshyn, expressed dissatisfaction after finding a large number of faithful at the Epiphany Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church during an inspection visit. The official's remarks were reported by Suspilne Ternopil.

On June 12, 2026, Ilchyshyn, accompanied by representatives of the enforcement service, arrived at the Epiphany Convent in Kremenets to check compliance with a court ruling ordering the return of monastery property.

According to Ilchyshyn, the commission encountered a large gathering of believers on the monastery grounds. The official effectively portrayed the presence of laypeople as an obstacle, despite the fact that worshippers have the right to be present at a church and participate in prayer.

Representatives of the reserve asked members of the religious community to summon the monastery's leadership. They were informed that the abbess, the community's official representative, was away and that the date of her return was unknown. Ilchyshyn also said that community members refused to arrange a telephone conversation with the abbess, explaining that she did not intend to return his call.

The dispute surrounding the Epiphany Monastery has continued for several years. The monastery complex belongs to the Kremenets-Pochaiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve, while the monastic community used the buildings under a gratuitous-use agreement that expired in September 2023.

Ilchyshyn has made similar complaints in the past. During searches conducted at the Pochaiv Lavra, he also accused believers present on monastery grounds of engaging in alleged "provocations."

Presenting the presence of laypeople at churches and monasteries as a form of "provocation" or "aggression" has repeatedly been used by officials associated with state reserves during disputes involving communities of the Ternopil Eparchy of the UOC and other Church monasteries.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that on May 6, 2026, the Western Commercial Court of Appeal ordered the monastery to return to the reserve a complex of buildings totaling 3,218 square meters, including the Epiphany Cathedral (1760), the monastic cells building (1760), and a bell tower dating from the twentieth century. More than 40 court hearings were held in the case over a three-year period.

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