Authorities initiated an "inspection" of the cathedral of the Tulchyn diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

On January 2, 2024, referring to the relevant decree of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the SBU sent a letter to the Vinnytsia regional administration with a demand to conduct an inspection of the condition of the cathedral of the Tulchyn diocese of the UOC diocese in honor of the Nativity of Christ in order to preserve it. This is reported on the official website of the diocese.

“As it became known, the Security Service of Ukraine on January 02, 2024, (referring to the corresponding 2013 order of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine), sent a letter to the Head of the Vinnytsia Regional Military Administration Sergiy Borzov to check the state of preservation of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ of the Tulchin diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (rector Archbishop Sergiy Anitsoy), which in the letter of the SBU is referred to in Polish as “Church”. Mr. Serhiy Borzov imposed a resolution: “To execute”, – stated in the message.

The Tulchyn diocese of the UOC fears that this “inspection” of the cathedral, which is an architectural monument, may become a reason for its further expropriation, as it happened in Kiev, Chernihiv, Kremenets and other cities of Ukraine.

“The question arises: what is the notorious Ministry of Culture of Ukraine up to? To take away the Tulchin Cathedral from the UOC believers, just like the cathedrals and premises of the Kiev Lavra? The Orthodox people of Tulchyn and the clergy are worried! Why did the Vinnytsia SBU initiate an inspection of the state of preservation of the Tulchyn Cathedral of the UOC? Is this a function of the SBU?”, – the diocese wondered.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine has more than once used a scheme in which the inspection of the condition of religious premises became the reason for the expropriation of churches and buildings that were previously owned by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Recently, we reported that the Ministry of Culture recorded the allegedly unsatisfactory condition of the Transfiguration and Trinity cathedrals of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chernihiv. As a result, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was deprived of access to these religious buildings.