Restored from ruins, Mykolaiv Monastery of the UOC faces threat of expropriation

The brethren of the Mykolaiv Miletsky Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Volyn, who spent decades rebuilding the monastery from the ruins after the Soviet period, now face the threat of state expropriation and possible transfer of the monastery to the OCU. The monks said that after the return to the Church, the buildings were in disrepair and needed large-scale restoration work.

According to the First Cossack, in a film about the monastery, the dean of the monastery, Archimandrite Alexander, spoke in detail about the state of the shrine after the Soviet period. St. Nicholas Cathedral, which is about five hundred years old, was used as a dining room for an orphanage. A large vat for cooking was installed right in the altar, in place of the throne. The temple itself was rebuilt on two floors with low ceilings, and the leaking roof allowed water and snow to penetrate freely.

“The church was covered with almost a half-meter layer of garbage and construction waste. We had to take it all out on our own,” said Archimandrite Alexander. – “The godless authorities were not interested in preserving the shrine. He added that over the years of misuse of the monastery buildings, many rooms were damaged: additional openings were made in the walls, the interior space of the churches was changed, and some of the structures were in disrepair, which required large-scale work to restore the historical appearance.

After the monastery was returned to the Church, the monks began a gradual restoration. The church was reconstructed, the roof was restored, a dome was installed, and the premises were cleared of debris. According to Archimandrite Oleksandr, the brethren strive to preserve the historical appearance of the shrines and restore their original appearance as much as possible.

For believers from dozens of surrounding villages in northern Volyn, the Myletsky Monastery is an important center of prayer and spiritual support, where generations of families pray. However, according to the parishioners, the monastery is currently facing the threat of state expropriation and eviction of the brethren, despite the fact that the shrine was revived and restored by the monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Earlier, we reported that a commission arrived at St. Nicholas Monastery of Myletsk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to conduct “architectural measurements.” Despite the correct behavior of the officials during the visit, the parishioners express serious concerns that these actions could be a harbinger of the expropriation of the monastery and its subsequent transfer to the OCU.