Ministry of Culture appeals court decision to transfer St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv to the ownership of the RCC religious community

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the House of Organ Music have filed two appeals against the decision of the Dnipro District Administrative Court of Kyiv to transfer St. Nicholas Church to the local Roman Catholic community. In their lawsuits, the state institutions claim that the local RCC community has had the right to use the building since 2022. In turn, the Roman Catholics themselves emphasize that they deny this statement. The RCC community reported this on its Facebook page.

«We hoped for the prudence and decency of the ICRC in the execution of the court decision and the recognition of our legal right. The return of the church, illegally taken away in Soviet times, was promised 20 years ago. This was supported by the community, by more than 25 thousand signatures in a petition, and by a court decision. Therefore, their continued refusal is sincerely surprising. After all, our right to take over the church is not disputed by the Ministry of Culture or any other person. Therefore, the fact that the court decision is being appealed only emphasizes the illegality of the delay in the transfer of the church. In three and a half months, they have not found time to dismantle the dangerous glass or patch the roof after the shelling, despite promises made in January. But they did find time and resources to appeal the court decision. Unfortunately, they have no interest in preserving the monument and transferring it to the community,» — the community members say.