Authorities cut off electricity to Kremenets Convent nuns

Employees of Ternopiloblenergo disconnected the Kremenets Monastery from the electricity supply. Photo: UOJ

On September 18, 2023, the authorities turned off the electricity in the Kremenets Epiphany Convent of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the UOJ was told the news. Several employees of Ternopiloblenergo arrived and disconnected the nunnery.

80 nuns live and work in the shrine. During Soviet rule, the convent complex, consisting of the Epiphany Cathedral, cells, and bell tower, was confiscated, and the Convent was closed. After the independence of Ukraine, the nuns began to revive it. The state reserved the ownership right to the complex of the Epiphany Convent buildings and allowed the nuns to use this property free of charge.

Over the past 32 years, the sisters of the nunnery have repaired and maintained state property in proper technical condition at their own expense. Now the state is trying to evict the nuns from their abode. For this purpose, it was disconnected from the electricity supply by Kremenets RES PJSC "Ternopoliblenergo".

On August 31, 2023, Volodymyr Tabachuk, the head of the Kremenets Regional Power Plant PJSC Ternopoliblenergo, sent a warning to the convent about the disconnection of the power supply. In a reply letter, Abbess Dimitria reminded Tabachuk about Cabinet Resolution 206 dated March 5, 2022, according to which it is forbidden to turn off the power to the population until the end of martial law.

"Disconnecting the cells from the electricity supply in the autumn-winter period has all the signs of torture. I ask you to refrain from illegal actions to disconnect the cells from the power supply," the Abbess wrote.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Kremenets Convent of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reported the threat of closure.

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