State plans to expropriate another UOC monastery in Zhytomyr region

State authorities have planned to expropriate the complex of premises of the St. Basil’s Convent of the Ovruch Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Zhytomyr region). On February 24, 2025, the Economic Court of the Zhytomyr Region canceled the right of private ownership of the St. Basil’s Convent in Ovruch. The monastery buildings are a monument of cultural heritage of national importance and have been privately owned since 2006. This is reported by Suspilne.Zhytomyr.

It is reported that on March 23, 2006, the executive committee of the Ovruch City Council adopted decision No. 82 “On registration of ownership of real estate owned by legal entities and individuals.” According to the court, the decision was made in excess of its powers and in the absence of a decision of the owner (authorized state body) to change the legal status of state property.

“This decision is illegal and must be canceled. Accordingly, the certificate of ownership issued for the real estate is subject to invalidation and cancellation as the basis for the emergence of ownership,” — the court said.

In turn, the representative of the St. Basil’s Monastery of the UOC stressed that the monastery did not and could not have the opportunity to verify the legality of the decision of the local government to transfer ownership of the real estate, did not commit any violations, acted lawfully and had fair expectations.

“The subject of the disputed legal relations is the property of the nunnery, so the general limitation period of three years applies to the claims, which began on March 23, 2006 and, accordingly, ended on March 24, 2009. The prosecutor filed a lawsuit on 11.06.2024, i.e. more than 18 years after the decision under appeal was made and the limitation period expired,” — the monastery’s lawyer was quoted as saying in the court’s decision.

It is worth noting that a similar scheme of alienation of property from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was used in Chernihiv. Earlier we reported that on January 16, 2025, the Supreme Court of Ukraine dismissed the claim of the Chernihiv Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church regarding the right to use the complex of premises of the Holy Trinity Yelets Convent of the XII-XVII centuries. Thus, the court upheld previous decisions and orders of the Ministry of Culture regarding these architectural monuments.