In the Khmelnytskyi region, a court ordered a religious community affiliated with the OCU to sign a security agreement for a church dating from 1818

The Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor’s Office secured a court ruling requiring the OCU religious community to sign a security agreement for the complex of buildings comprising the Church of St. John the Theologian, located in the village of Trebukhovtsy. This church was added to the region’s cultural heritage list back in 2013.

During the proceedings, the Letychiv District Prosecutor’s Office determined that the religious community, as the owner of the historic complex consisting of the church and bell tower, had ignored legal requirements. Owners of architectural monuments are required to enter into preservation agreements that regulate the operation and restoration of the structures to prevent their deterioration.

Although the Department of Information Activities, Culture, Nationalities, and Religions of the Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration had prepared the necessary documentation in advance, the community refused to sign the agreement without providing any explanation. As a result of the prosecutor’s office’s intervention, the Khmelnytskyi District Administrative Court fully granted the claims, requiring the owners to document their responsibility for preserving the historical heritage.