OCU activists in Pogreby break police seals and take over the UOC temple

Confrontation at the Holy Assumption temple in Pogreby village. Photo: UOJ

As it became known to the UOJ, on August 24, 2019, about 100 supporters of the OCU broke open the doors and seized the Holy Assumption temple in the village of Pogreby, Brovary district, Kiev region.

The seizure occurred at 7 pm.

According to the head of the Legal Department of the Borispol Eparchy of the UOC, Archpriest Alexey Nosenko, supporters of the OCU did not even let the police onto the premises of the temple.

On August 25, the confrontation continued. In the morning, members of the OCU held their “liturgy” in the Orthodox temple which, according to eyewitnesses, was attended by less than 15 people. Now the UOC community and activists of the OCU are located near the church. The raiders locked themselves inside the temple and hanged their locks on the door.

Members of the church community of the UOC note that a significant part of members of the OCU is in a serious stage of intoxication; empty bottles of alcoholic drinks are scattered around the church. However, the police do not intervene in the conflict.

The UOC believers demand from law enforcement agencies that the temple be re-sealed before a court decision. The next hearing is scheduled for August 27.

Fr. Alexey recalled that in March 2019 the temple was illegally re-registered in favor of the OCU and the legality of registration was appealed by the representatives of the canonical Church in court. However, the OCU supporters constantly violate the agreements reached to refrain from praying in the temple in order to avoid escalation of the conflict.

As reported by the UOJ, an attempt has been made to forcibly transfer the Assumption temple in Pogreby to the OCU since February of this year despite the decision of the religious community to remain in the bosom of the canonical Church. On March 17, representatives of the territorial community, who are not parishioners, voted to move to the OCU and entered the church during the service. Arriving at the scene, the police took everyone out of the church premises.

After a series of conflicts with adherents of the new church structure, the faithful of the canonical Church decided to refrain from praying in their temeple so that peace would be preserved in the village and they would perform services at closed doors. But on June 11, activists of the OCU grabbed the church house of the religious community of Pogreby village spraying tear gas in the face of the guard.

Recall that the issue of religious affiliation of the community of the Holy Assumption temple is considered in court and to date representatives of the OCU do not have any rights either to the church or the church house.

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