An icon of the Royal Passionists is dismantled in the Cathedral of the Assumption of Volodymyr, which was taken away from the UOC

In the Assumption Cathedral of Volodymyr, which was taken over from the UOC Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese, a large-scale iconographic face depicting the Holy Royal Passionists will be dismantled: Tsar Nicholas II and members of his family. This was stated on the air of Radio BUG by Ukrainian MP Ihor Huz, who emphasized that «there should be no imperial or pro-Russian overtones in the Ukrainian church.»

According to Ihor Huz, this is not a single icon, but a large-scale wall painting that appeared in the church during the period when it was used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church and a number of other Local Churches have been honoring the passionate Tsar Nicholas II and his family since 2000 as the Royal Passionists, and this tradition was adopted by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The MP also drew attention to the significant public reaction after the publication of the photos of the mural. He noted that some of the comments on social media revealed a deep problem of tolerance for imperial and pro-Russian narratives in the religious space. «There are people who consider it normal to pray to the Russian tsar. It is on this basis that Russian special services easily recruit agents,» Guz emphasized.

The issue of the future fate of the fresco has already been discussed with the leadership of the OCU, to which the cathedral was transferred after the expropriation. Guz said that he received a response from the head of the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the OCU, Matviy Shevchuk, that this mural will not be in the Assumption Cathedral. Instead of the image of the Russian tsar and his family, it is planned to place images of Ukrainian saints that will not have any imperial or political overtones. The MP emphasized that the dismantling process will be carried out in compliance with all legal procedures, as the church is an architectural monument.

Earlier, Ihor Huz stated that the state has legal mechanisms for early termination of the lease of the Zymne Holy Dormition Monastery, which is currently used by the women’s monastic community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. As a precedent, the politician cited the recent expropriation of the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the UOC in the city of Volodymyr into state ownership with the subsequent transfer to the OCU for five years.