UOC-KP condemns forceful seizure of UOC’s Alexander Nevsky Church in Odesa

UOC-KP “Bishop” Nikon. Photo: Facebook page of the UOC-KP’s Odesa Eparchy

UOC-KP “Metropolitan” Nikon of Odesa and Vinnytsia has issued a statement on the events surrounding the UOC church in Odesa, saying he received the news of the seizure “with deep pain and sincere sorrow.”

“Regardless of existing inter-confessional differences, any actions accompanied by violence, coercion, violations of the lawful rights of religious communities, or encroachment upon a shrine cannot be justified either by the Holy Gospel, by Christian morality, or by the principles of a state governed by the rule of law,” the UOC-KP representative stressed.

He recalled that an Orthodox church should be a place of prayer and unity, not “a hotbed of hostility or confrontation.” Referring to the Beatitude on peacemakers, the “metropolitan” called on those responsible “to act strictly within the Constitution and laws of Ukraine… and to prevent any manifestations of violence, hatred, and lawlessness.”

In his appeal, he also asked believers “to remain calm, not to yield to provocations, not to repay evil with evil, but to bear witness to their faith through prayer, patience, and Christian love.” Concluding his statement, the “bishop” expressed hope that all disputes would be resolved “exclusively through legal means.”

As a reminder, on June 23, 2026, OCU supporters in Odesa, backed by armed employees of the Samson security agency carrying clubs, carried out a forceful seizure of the UOC’s Alexander Nevsky Church. During the assault, the attackers beat parishioners and clergy, while one cleric was knocked to the ground and choked.

The Odesa Eparchy said the raiders used forged documents about the community’s “transfer.” Later, OCU representatives announced plans to rename the church and destroy frescoes depicting Russian saints.

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