The state will prematurely terminate property lease agreements with UOC congregations

According to the provisions of the anti-church law No. 3894 (formerly No. 8371) “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Field of Activities of Religious Organizations”, adopted on August 20, 2024, in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, state authorities have the right to terminate early the lease agreements for land plots, religious buildings and other premises that were concluded with religious communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is stated in the relevant article of the law.

“The right to use state and/or municipal property granted to religious organizations whose activities are not allowed in accordance with Article 5-1 of this Law, and contracts concluded with such religious organizations related to the use of state or municipal property (rent, hire, leasing, other forms of use of other people’s property), shall be terminated early, 60 days after the decision to recognize the relevant religious organization as affiliated with a foreign religious organization, as well as 60 days after the decision to recognize it as a foreign religious organization», — the law says.

As reported, on September 5, 2024, a woman, a member of the commission of the Kremenets-Pochayiv Historical and Architectural Reserve, who was inspecting the monastery’s premises for the purpose of their further transfer to state ownership, died suddenly on the territory of the Epiphany Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.