Authorities hold “memorial” concert in church seized from UOC in Chernihiv

A concert was held inside the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernihiv. Photo: Facebook / Varta

Museum officials in Chernihiv’s Transfiguration Cathedral held a concert instead of a memorial service for deceased medical workers. Musicians performed with guitars directly in front of the altar of the ancient church.

The event was dedicated to Ukraine’s Day of Remembrance for Fallen Medical Workers. Video footage of the performance was published on the Varta's Facebook page. Ukrainian believers expressed indignation over the use of the shrine for a secular event rather than prayerful commemoration.

This is not the first time that museum institutions in the city have used Chernihiv’s historic churches as venues for secular and entertainment events. Previously, performers staged dances in Holy Trinity Cathedral in front of reliquaries containing holy relics. Last summer, museum administrators also allowed what believers described as a desecration of the Transfiguration Cathedral when tour guides led women into the altar area of the ancient shrine.

As the UOJ previously reported, authorities in Chernihiv decided not to transfer a cathedral seized from the UOC to the OCU.

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