In Pereyaslav law enforcers seized St. Michael's Monastery of the UOC

on May 11, 2026, a forceful seizure of St. Michael’s Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) began in Pereyaslav. Representatives of the police and the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve “Pereyaslav” with the support of special units expelled the abbot and parishioners from the monastery, completely blocking the territory of the shrine. This is reported by Telegram-channel “First Cossack”.

During the operation, security forces used physical force to the believers who tried to protect the monastery. The police officers pushed the Orthodox Christians away from the gate and forcibly pulled aside the abbot of the monastery Archimandrite Anthony (Puhkan), after which they broke the locks. At present, museum representatives have entered the monastery premises and are conducting a large-scale inventory of the property.

It is reported that museum workers, supported by special forces, have penetrated even into the personal cells of the monks, to which state structures have no legal rights. The law enforcers forced out the parishioners who had been praying within these walls for years, calling them “outsiders.” According to sources, the seizure was prepared in advance with the participation of the leadership of the Boryspil district administration and SBU officers.

The current events are the result of a long confrontation. The first attempt of forceful seizure was made in June 2023, but then the community managed to defend the shrine, standing in the way of the invaders “human shield”. Since November 2025, the authorities of Pereyaslav moved to methods of legal pressure: the deputies of the City Council decided to “remove obstacles” to the work of the sanctuary, and the mayor of the city Vyacheslav Saulko openly demanded the immediate eviction of the monks, accusing the law enforcement agencies of insufficient activity.