In Pereyaslav, OCU representative discusses organization of religious events in seized St. Michael's Monastery of UOC

OCU representative Oleksandr Drabynko held talks with the leadership of the Pereyaslav National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve on the organization of services in St. Michael’s Monastery. The meeting took place against the backdrop of the recent forced eviction of the monastic community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the monastery premises.

According to the Pereyaslav-Vyshneve Diocese of the OCU, the discussion took place on May 15, 2026, four days after the police and representatives of the state reserve forcibly expelled the brethren and the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Anthony. During the raid, special forces officers took an inventory of the property, including the monks’ private cells.

The legal basis for the transfer of the monastery complex, which is an architectural monument of the XVIII-XIX centuries, was the decision of the Economic Court of Appeal of 2023. According to the document, the UOC was obliged to vacate the building in favor of the reserve. It is worth noting that in November 2025, the city authorities of Pereyaslav decided to “remove obstacles” to the activities of the reserve, which actually paved the way for a forced eviction.

During the meeting, Oleksandr Drabynko emphasized his personal historical connection with the monastery, noting that he consecrated St. Michael’s Church in 2011. We recall that the first attempt to re-subordinate the monastery was made in June 2023, but then the parishioners managed to defend the shrine.

As reported, on May 11, 2026, a forceful seizure of St. Michael’s Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) took place in Pereyaslav. Representatives of the police and the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve “Pereyaslav” with the support of special forces expelled the abbot and parishioners from the monastery, completely blocking the territory of the shrine.