A park has been opened in Ivano-Frankivsk on the site of a demolished Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) church

In Ivano-Frankivsk, work has been completed on the development of a new public space on Vyacheslav Chornovil Street, where the Transfiguration Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church previously stood before being demolished by order of local authorities. According to the publication ZAXID.NET, Mayor Ruslan Martsynkiv initiated the creation of the park.

The land, previously used by the Ivano-Frankivsk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was expropriated in favor of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council following a decision by the Supreme Court of Ukraine. Initially, the authorities planned to rebuild a kindergarten there, but later abandoned that idea. In March 2026, a tender was held for the landscaping of the site at a cost of 5.7 million hryvnias, which was won by the company “SpetsBudMontazh-Engineering.”

According to the mayor’s statement, the new recreational area features a playground, benches, and trash cans, and security is provided by a video surveillance system. Despite the administration’s efforts, some local residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the project on social media. Residents have criticized the lack of shade, calling the park a “frying pan under the scorching sun,” and have expressed concern about the recreation area’s proximity to a busy road. In response to the criticism, Ruslan Martsinkiv noted that the trees that have been planted will grow over time, and additional shrubs are planned to be planted in the fall.

It is worth noting that the Ivano-Frankivsk city authorities’ claims to the land plot on which the diocesan administration and the Transfiguration Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were located date back to 2017. Notably, at that time, the Supreme Court of Ukraine ruled that the land and buildings remained the property of the Church. However, later, taking advantage of political instability, the city council decided to expropriate the property and subsequently ordered the demolition of the aforementioned structures. Consequently, the church and the diocesan administration building were demolished in early 2022.