In Volyn, a diocese of the OCU sold a plot of land intended for a spiritual center to a construction company

Instead of building a spiritual and educational center, the Volyn Diocese of the OCU resold the plot to a private construction company, which plans to build residential housing on it. The plot in question is 0.54 hectares on Derzhavnosti Street in Lutsk, which had been in the continuous use of an OCU entity for about 15 years.

According to a source, the plot was originally intended for the construction of a church; however, the diocese did not stop at laying the foundation and registering the property in the real estate registry, but subsequently sold the property to the private construction firm “Zhitlobud-2.” The transaction reportedly took place on August 31, 2026.

The sale of the foundation allowed the developer to acquire municipal land for commercial construction without holding a public auction. According to the “Avers” TV channel, the local urban planning department confirmed that, following the alienation of the religious organization’s property, the authorities were forced to terminate the OCU diocese’s right of permanent use of the land.

Vladimir, a representative of the local OCU parish, called the incident a “civilized investment model” and stated that the company must build a church and a spiritual center with an area of 170 square meters for the community. However, according to the publication, plans call for the construction of three-story residential buildings and seven townhouses on the site instead of the spiritual complex.

As a reminder, on January 29, 2026, during an event marking the 118th anniversary of the Battle of Kruty, Mikhail Zinkevich, head of the Volyn Diocese of the OCU, sharply criticized Ukrainians who resist representatives of the territorial recruitment centers (TRCs), calling it “a great disgrace.” He emphasized the urgent need for mobilization to defend the country and called for a change in public attitudes toward military service, while also declaring Ukraine’s future as a military state.