MinCult: Transfer of Kaniv Cathedral to the state is a step toward justice
The rights to the holy site now belong to the Shevchenko National Reserve.
The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine has officially announced the completion of the process of returning the Dormition (St. George’s) Cathedral in Kaniv to state ownership. The holy site is now registered in the State Register of Property Rights under the state, represented by the Ministry of Culture, and has been transferred to the operational management of the Shevchenko National Reserve.
"Thanks to the systematic and persistent work of the team at the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Smila District Prosecutor’s Office of the Cherkasy Region, justice has been restored, ensuring the registration of rights and the legal documentation for the return of the monument to state ownership," the ministry’s statement reads.
The ministry called this event "another step in the fight to restore historical justice," asserting that the UOC community had been using the cathedral illegally for 20 years.
As reported by the UOJ, the reserve plans to create an exhibit in the church for visitors and to offer the cathedral for religious services through a competitive lease process.