Volyn Regional Council Initiates Verification of Legality of Use of XVI Century Architectural Monument by UOC-MP Community

Deputies of the Volyn Regional Council supported a request to check the legality of the use of St. Dmitry’s Church in the village of Gyshyn by representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). This religious building, built in 1567, is recognized as a wooden architectural monument of national importance.

According to Volynski Novyny, the appeal was initiated by MP Ivan Mirka. He pointed to the lack of publicly available information on the legal grounds for using this cultural heritage site. As part of the inspection, it is planned to find out whether the relevant security agreements have been concluded, whether the requirements of the relevant legislation are being met, and whether unauthorized redevelopment or changes in the appearance of the ancient church have been prevented.

In addition to the condition of the architectural monument itself, the deputy was concerned about the work on the adjacent territory. According to Ivan Mirka, new construction was carried out within the coastal zone of the Turia River and an artificial reservoir was arranged. In this regard, the competent authorities must establish the legality of the construction of these buildings and compliance with environmental standards.

The request was supported by a majority of votes at the regional council session. The document will be sent to the mayor of Kovel, the head of the Kovel District State Administration, the Department of Culture of the Volyn Regional State Administration, as well as to the units of the State Environmental Inspectorate and the State Inspectorate for Architecture and Urban Development.

As reported earlier, the process of transferring the chapel in honor of St. Prince Volodymyr, the Equal-to-the-Apostles, which previously belonged to the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to the OCU is underway in Volodymyr (Volyn Oblast). After the expulsion of the UOC from the Holy Dormition Cathedral, the community of the canonical Church prayed for some time in the said religious building, but later lost access to it.