In Kyiv, UGCC church construction near kindergarten begins despite protests

Obolon residents discussing the construction of a UGCC church near a kindergarten. Photo: Facebook

On August 21, 2026, residents of the Obolon district of Kyiv reported the start of construction of a UGCC church near a kindergarten, which the local community has been opposing for several years. Photos from the construction site were published by Yevhen Milokumov in the public Facebook group "OBOLON".

According to the author of the post, back in 2024 a petition demanding that construction on this site be halted gathered more than 6,000 signatures. Local residents claim that the permit was issued by the Kyiv City State Administration without any genuine public hearings. Later, a deputy promised to hold a meeting with district residents; however, as stated in the post, instead of official hearings, residents were offered a project presentation and a brief discussion.

The published photos show construction equipment near the kindergarten grounds, a group of men at the proposed construction site, and a vehicle with no visible license plates. The author of the post also claims that some of the men present were wearing balaclavas, and in one of the images identified an object held by one of them as a "gun". Based on the photograph alone, it is impossible to reliably determine whether the object is a weapon.

Residents emphasize that they are not opposed to the construction of a church as such but rather to the chosen location next to the kindergarten. They are calling for the work to be halted, for another site to be selected for the church, and for official public hearings to be held, with residents voting on the construction project at this location.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the OCU rep allows attending Uniate churches.

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