Cherkasy Diocese of OCU publicly criticizes UOC Metropolitan Theodosius over Victory Day celebrations

The Cherkasy Diocese of the OCU published a statement on social media that experts view as a public denunciation of Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv (UOC). The reason for the criticism was the use of “Soviet” rhetoric in the coverage of events dedicated to May 9, as well as the current criminal cases against the hierarch.

It is reported that on May 11, 2026, an entry was posted on the Facebook page of the Cherkasy Diocese of the OCU condemning the publication of UOC resources about the visit of Metropolitan Theodosius to the Korsun region. The main object of criticism was the headline of the photo report: “May 9 – Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War”. Representatives of the OCU called the term “Great Patriotic War” a “Soviet propaganda construct” and accused their opponents of spreading narratives of the “Russian world.”

The text of the OCU statement emphasizes that the memory of those who died in World War II is sacred, but it should be devoid of “pathos” and “cheap political scenery.” The authors of the publication specifically emphasized the existence of open criminal proceedings against Metropolitan Theodosius, using this as an argument in favor of his unwillingness to abandon his former ideology. In addition, the discrediting wording also affected the parishioners of the diocese, who, according to the authors of the denunciation, demonstratively expressed respect for the bishop.

Earlier, we reported that the Sosnivsky District Court of Cherkasy ruled to extend the preventive measure for the head of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC, Metropolitan Theodosius (Snigirev), who is a defendant in several criminal cases. According to the court ruling of April 13, the bishop will remain under personal recognizance for another two months.