In Buderazh, OCU raiders attempt to melt bells from seized church

The headman of the OCU community in Buderazh and ancient bells from the seized church. Photo: Archpriest Vasily Nachev

The OCU community in the village of Buderazh, Rivne region, attempted to get the old bells from the seized church melted down, reports a UOJ correspondent.

The Holy Protection Church in Buderazh is an architectural monument, and its bells are already several hundred years old.

The fact of the transfer of two old bells to the remelting station was recorded by the priest of the UOC, the cleric of the Rivne Eparchy, Archpriest Vasily Nachev. According to him, he was very surprised when he saw them on a cart, and next to them there was the head of the OCU community from Buderazh.

“I immediately understood what was happening, so I turned to Vasily Antoniuk, the head of the OCU community, asking if they had permission to hand over the bells from the Department of Culture,” said Fr. Vasily. “They answered me rudely, I realized that they did not have permission. Therefore, I began to call the police and even invited the television."

The priest added that the police never arrived, but there was a certain Nikolai, who offered to come to the station and write a statement.

“The call came already when representatives of the OCU community from Buderazh loaded the bells back into the car. And the policeman said why they should go there if the car is gone, I haven't seen anything,” the archpriest explained.

But the priest is still determined to write a statement since he has enough photo and video evidence confirming the fact of violation of Ukrainian legislation.

“I am worried about something else. This time, I accidentally prevented so that the ancient voices of the church stay where they should be. But I am not sure that the community that absolutely does not appreciate the legacy of its ancestors will not do it again,” Father Vasily Nachev complained.

As reported, the ancient church in Buderazh was seized by the OCU activists in several stages: in May 2019, there was the first attempt to break into the church by force, but the believers of the UOC defended it and did not even let the raiders into the churchyard. Since then, the Holy Protection Church remained closed until October 2019, when the former head of the Zdolbuniv Regional State Administration Sergei Kondrachuk opened the doors of the House of God with a crowbar, opening it for people from the OCU.

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