New UOC church consecrated in Chernivtsi region, built after seizure of former shrine by OCU supporters

on May 23, 2026, a new church in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius was solemnly consecrated in the village of Yurkivtsi, Chernivtsi region. The religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) built the building on its own after their former church was forcibly transferred to the jurisdiction of the OCU.

According to the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ), the rite of consecration was performed by Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna. The service was attended by Archbishop Veniamin of Khotyn, Archbishop Athanasius of Kamen-Kashyr, Archbishop Siluan of Hertsaiv, Bishop Job of Kitsman and numerous clergy of the diocese. For the parishioners, this day was the end of many years of trials and struggle for the right to remain faithful to their Church.

The conflict around the parish escalated in October 2022, when 322 members of the religious community reaffirmed their loyalty to the UOC at a meeting. Despite this, supporters of the OCU held an alternative vote of the territorial community. As a result, on April 18, 2023, the church was seized with the participation of the police. During the storming, one of the parishioners was seriously injured — his finger was torn off with a crowbar.

Having lost access to their church, the believers did not stop their worship life. The community continued to pray in the open air and in adapted premises, while simultaneously beginning the construction of a new church, which has now become the spiritual center of the Orthodox residents of the village.