DESS: Two UOC communities with priest join OCU in Chernihiv region

OCU cleric Serafym persuading parishioners in Nove to join his structure. Photo: DESS

Two UOC communities in the villages of Sedniv and Nove, Chernihiv region, voluntarily joined the OCU together with their priest, reports the State Service for Ethnopolitics (DESS).

According to the DESS's statement, on August 14, in the village of Nove, Chernihiv district, "the St. George community, which is part of the Holy Dormition parish of the Sedniv community, together with the parishioners of the town of Sedniv, unanimously decided to join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine."

The agency did not clarify how one religious community, being a separate legal entity, can "be part of" another community.

A report by Cheline TV says that the transition meeting took place in only one community – in the village of Nove. Twenty-seven people participated in it. The meeting was chaired, for some reason, by OCU clerics — Serafym Lisovyi and Antoniy, the chief chaplain of the “North” Operational Command.

Lisovyi told the parishioners that "today we are taking the step that will bring us closer to one united family." Chaplain Antoniy told those gathered that "we, one great Ukrainian family, are finally freeing ourselves from the Muscovite yoke."

"It is very painful for me to see Moskals kill and Moskals perform the funeral rites," he said.

The OCU cleric did not clarify how UOC rector Vasyl Yavodchak, after joining the OCU, would cease to be a "Moskal."

Yavodchak did not speak at the meeting. In comments to journalists, he said that the initiators of the move to the OCU had tried to hold a meeting two years ago, but were unable to push the decision through at that time.

"Back then the meeting took place, but no decision on the transition was made. Now, as they say, the time has come – it is time to make the move. The people have transferred, and I, as the parish rector, also support it,” the rector said.

As journalists showed, outsiders also took part in the UOC community meeting. In particular, this included Olha Heniya, a parishioner of the OCU from Sedniv.

DESS stated that "after the meeting in Nove concluded, the participants traveled to Sedniv, to the Dormition Church, whose community also joined the OCU." However, the state service provided no information about any meeting in Sedniv. Nor did the DESS clarify whether such a meeting had taken place at all.

The OCU rep said that cases where UOC priests agree to make the transition are rare.

"Therefore, it is quite joyful when the rector truly supports the decision of his parishioners – or rather, is the one who initiates it, so that people take notice and ultimately join the large Ukrainian family within the OCU,” said Serafym Lisovyi.

According to Suspilne Chernihiv, citing Pavlo Veselov, deputy head of the regional Department of Culture, Tourism, Nationalities and Religions, three UOC communities in the Chernihiv region joined the OCU during 2026. In 2025, there were 11 such transfers. In total, 44 communities have made the move since 2022. The Chernihiv region currently has 209 OCU communities and 526 UOC communities.

The UOJ previously reported that the rector of a UOC parish in Khmilna joined the OCU after being detained by the TRC.

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