The Commercial Court has opened proceedings in the case concerning the property of the Cherkasy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The Commercial Court of Cherkasy Oblast has officially begun hearing Case No. 925/1119/26 concerning ownership rights to a complex of buildings belonging to the Cherkasy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. A court hearing on this dispute is scheduled for September 17, 2026. This was reported by Archpriest Nikita Chekman, a lawyer for the UOC.

The subject of the legal proceedings is a lawsuit filed by supporters of the OCU, who are seeking recognition of their ownership rights to the properties located at 212 Nadpolna Street. This list includes St. Michael’s Cathedral, the administrative buildings of the diocesan administration, and the Sunday school. Representatives of the UOC emphasize that these buildings were constructed through the efforts and funds of the faithful of the canonical church and intend to defend their rights through legal channels.

The court ruled to exempt the plaintiff from paying court fees in the amount of 975,000 hryvnia. It is worth noting that the conflict over the property is part of a long-standing dispute: between 2022 and 2024, the Cherkasy City Council initiated a process to seize a 12-hectare plot of land from the diocese. Most of the territory was transferred to municipal services and a structure of the OCU, on whose land the main diocesan buildings are currently located.

As a reminder, the Cherkasy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church previously stated its disagreement with claims that the complex of buildings of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy might be abandoned. The diocese asserts that the cathedral complex was conceived and built with its participation, funded by donations from the faithful and benefactors, and also reported on the restoration of title documents and the legal defense of the UOC’s interests.