The transfer of a church in Odessa to the OCU led to allegations of a hostile takeover

Another conflict over church property has erupted in Odesa. Following a change in the jurisdiction of St. Alexander Nevsky Church, located on the grounds of a military hospital, representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) claimed that the church had been forcibly seized, while the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) maintains that the congregation’s transfer was lawful.

This was reported by the press office of the Odessa Diocese of the UOC.

St. Alexander Nevsky Church, located on the grounds of a military hospital in Odesa, has transferred to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The events that took place on June 23 sparked a sharp confrontation between representatives of the two church jurisdictions, who interpret the circumstances surrounding the change in the church’s affiliation differently.

The Odessa Diocese stated that this was a “hostile takeover” of the church, which, according to them, had been rebuilt over many years by the religious community. They claim that a group of people declared themselves a new congregation without the participation of the parishioners who had previously cared for the church and participated in its restoration.

According to the UOC, after representatives of the new jurisdiction arrived, believers were allegedly barred from entering the church, and some people were subjected to physical violence. Church leadership also stated that several of the victims were hospitalized by medical personnel. After that, according to their account, the church gates were closed, and the clergy and parishioners lost access to the sanctuary.

The statement also notes that in video recordings released by those involved in the transition, representatives of the OCU allegedly expressed dissatisfaction with the church’s dedication to St. Alexander Nevsky and with certain elements of the interior murals. The Moscow Patriarchate asserts that following the change in jurisdiction, a proposal may have been made to rename the church in honor of another saint.

At the same time, supporters of the church’s transition to the OCU describe the event as a legitimate change in ecclesiastical jurisdiction. According to them, the congregation voted to join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, after which the church effectively came under the new jurisdiction.

Currently, both sides continue to publicly defend their versions of events. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church insists that the church was seized illegally, while representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine state that the congregation exercised its right to independently determine its ecclesiastical affiliation.

On June 17, a public presentation of the results of the sociological study “Assessment of the Religious Situation: Odesa Region,” conducted by the sociological group “Rating,” took place in Odesa.

Experts presented data on the level of trust Ukrainians have in the leaders of various religious denominations, the ratio of communities, parishioners, and churches, citizens’ attitudes toward the transfer of parishes from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to the OCU, as well as support for banning religious organizations linked to Russia.

In addition, nearly half of the residents of the Odesaregion supported banning the UOC due to itsties to the Russian Orthodox Church. There is a growing demand in the region for religious organizations to distance themselves from the aggressor country and to take greater responsibility for national security issues. 

Анна Бальчінос