In Kropyvnytskyi, the prosecutor's office is demanding that a plot of land be seized from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The Kropyvnytskyi Prosecutor’s Office has initiated legal proceedings aimed at depriving a religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the right to use a 0.5-hectare plot of land located within the local Arboretum. According to Gre4ka.info, the Economic Court of the Kirovohrad Region issued the corresponding decision to initiate proceedings on November 2, 2026.

According to the case file, this plot was granted for permanent use to the local religious community of the UOC in honor of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God back in 2012 by a decision of the city council. Although the land was designated for the construction of a religious building, the church has not been built over the past 14 years; currently, only a cross mounted on a platform made of paving slabs stands on the site.

The supervisory authority’s position is that the transfer of the land for use was carried out illegally. The prosecutor emphasizes that this plot is part of the nature reserve fund and is located within the boundaries of the Arboretum, which constitutes a direct violation of the Land Code and the Law “On the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine.” The prosecutor’s office is demanding that the state registration of the plot be annulled and that the right of permanent use granted to the religious organization be revoked. A preliminary court hearing on this case is scheduled for December 1.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the Kharkiv City Council, during an extraordinary session, adopted a decision to terminate the land lease agreement with the Kharkiv Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The city has reclaimed more than 3 hectares of land, including Cathedral Square, a plot with an energy facility, and the area where the diocese building is located.