Believers of seized UOC Cathedral in Cherkasy forced to pray in basement

The parishioners of the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC, which was seized by supporters of the OCU in October 2024, are forced to pray in basements and other adapted premises throughout the city. On March 2, 2025, Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv consecrated a temporary church in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the basement of an apartment building in Cherkasy. This was reported by the press service of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC.

It is reported that the new “catacomb” church, in which parishioners of the seized Archangel Michael Cathedral of the UOC will pray, has become one of several adapted premises in Cherkasy. The believers bought and arranged the basement on their own, and Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv consecrated the premises as a temporary church and presented the parish with an icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov with a piece of the saint’s imperishable relics.

“For Orthodox Christians, it is vital to create and decorate holy places for communion with God — the temples of God. And the bright, unrelenting desire to create churches, even in catacombs, has always been a driving force for many generations of persecuted Christians — both in ancient times and today. This fervent zeal for the House of the Lord cannot be overshadowed by “neither sorrow nor tribulation nor persecution” (Romans 8:35),” — the diocesan press service said.

Earlier we reported that the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the Cherkasy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, seized by the radicals of the OCU, will now be used as a bomb shelter for football fans. Relevant agreements were reached between the Cherkasy Diocese of the OCU and the administration of the local football club LNZ, whose stadium is located next door. According to FC LNZ, earlier, when the cathedral was under the control of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, they did not have such an opportunity.