Authorities attempt to legalize seizure of Cherkasy cathedral, media reports

The Cathedral of Cherkasy. Photo: Suspilne Cherkasy

The district Prosecutor's Office sent a request to the Cherkasy City Council, stating that information about the owner of the cathedral complex is currently "absent", reports the Telegram channel "Dozor".

Prosecutors are requesting that the authorities establish the identity of the owner and, should the owner remain unidentified, initiate the procedure for transferring the church building to municipal ownership.

At the same time, the document itself acknowledges that ownership of the cathedral was officially registered in the name of the Administration of the Cherkasy Eparchy of the UOC as early as December 10, 2018. However, the prosecutor's office cites an order issued by the Ministry of Justice in March 2024, under which that registration was annulled.

The organizers of the cathedral's seizure have been unable to find a legal loophole for its re-registration, and are therefore attempting to legalize the raiding through municipal structures.

As the UOJ reported, the activist who fired a shot inside the Cherkasy cathedral staged a provocation against a UOC bishop.

Read also