Rivne region authorities attempt to evict UOC community from Buhryn church

Faithful of the UOC in Buhryn, supported by priests from neighboring parishes, defended their sanctuary. Photo: rivne.church.ua

In the village of Buhryn, Rivne Region, the village head, Serhiy Pylypchuk, with the support of district officials, is attempting to evict the Ukrainian Orthodox Church community from the Church of the Ascension. This was reported by the press service of the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC.

Officials used the pretext of a change in ownership of the building to try to remove the Orthodox community from its house of worship.

Specifically, Pylypchuk has threatened to seal the church and deprive the faithful of the right to hold services there.

On October 18, 2023, on Pylypchuk’s initiative, representatives of the Rivne District and Buhryn Village Councils arrived at the church claiming they were executing a decision to transfer the building – where the UOC church has been located for decades – from shared to municipal ownership.

Priests from neighboring UOC parishes came to support the Orthodox community of Buhryn.

“The mastermind of this act, the head of the Buhryn Hromada, as usual, did not appear,” noted the rector of the Church of the Ascension, Archpriest Dymytriy Hryhoryev. “Instead, he sent a newly formed commission and a lawyer, which only confirmed their intention toward UOC believers – to deprive them of their right to pray.”

Local government representatives presented documents showing a change in ownership of the building. The faithful did not object to the change but stated that they would not vacate the church, as they possess all necessary legal documents to use the premises.

“A change in ownership does not deprive the UOC religious community of the right to remain in the building,” explained the head of the legal department of the Rivne Eparchy, Archpriest Vasyl Nachev. “The community has a long-standing lease agreement as well as all the required documentation to defend their rights in court.”

After speaking with the parishioners, the local authorities left the church grounds.

The eparchy's press service notes that the confessional division in Buhryn dates back to the mid-1990s. At that time, the UOC community was granted use of an old outpatient clinic, which they renovated and converted into a church. The village had enjoyed inter-confessional peace until the village head launched a campaign against the UOC parish.

As previously reported by the UOJ, parishioners of the UOC Church of St. Panteleimon in the city of Vyshhorod – now serving in a special forces brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – have also spoken out in defense of their parish, which raiders are attempting to transfer to the OCU.

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