Four legal proceedings are currently underway regarding the Pochaiv Lavra

Courts in Ternopil and Kyiv are currently hearing four cases concerning the legal status of property and land plots held by the Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra. The primary goal of law enforcement agencies is to recover the monastery’s property from what the prosecutor’s office considers to be “illegal” possession by the religious organization of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This was reported by Espreso.TV.

Vitaliy Panchenko, head of the Ternopil Regional Prosecutor’s Office, emphasized that three lawsuits were initiated directly by the prosecutor’s office, while another was filed by the Ternopil Regional Military Administration (OVA), in which the prosecutor’s office joined as a party to defend state interests. The main claims concern both the premises that have been transferred to the UOC men’s monastery and the land plots that were re-registered in the Lavra’s name.

The situation is complicated by the presence of counterclaims, which makes the proceedings contentious and protracted. The prosecutor’s office emphasizes “the facts of the illegal seizure of properties from state ownership,” insisting on the restoration “of the state’s lawful rights.” The task of the prosecutor’s office is to ensure full compliance with legal norms throughout all ongoing proceedings.

As a reminder, recently, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (GESS) officially notified the leadership of the Pochaiv Lavra of the need to sever ties with the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. Otherwise, the agency is prepared to initiate legal proceedings to shut down the religious institution.