Uzhhorod Residents Oppose the Construction of a New UGCC Garrison Church

The Uzhhorod community has opposed the initiative by the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy to build a new garrison church near the “Kalvaria” cemetery. Despite support from some city council deputies, local residents unanimously spoke out against the project. They emphasized that the area already has enough religious buildings, including neglected chapels that could be restored instead of constructing new churches. The issue was discussed at public hearings on April 10, the minutes of which were published on the city council’s website.

The construction initiative came from the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy. A representative proposed amendments to the detailed land-use plan to allocate space for the future church, which, according to the clergy, would serve as a place of spiritual support for families of fallen soldiers. The church was intended to have a resident priest-psychologist.

However, residents of the neighborhood adjacent to the cemetery noted that the demand for such construction is unfounded. They pointed out that several churches nearby can already serve the spiritual needs of the faithful, and that a new religious building would only increase tensions in the area.

Due to these disagreements, it was decided to form a conciliation commission to revise the proposals. The final decision on changes to the detailed land-use plan is to be made by the Uzhhorod City Council.

It was also reported earlier that on April 10, 2025, another hearing was held at the Uzhhorod City District Court of Zakarpattia Oblast in the criminal case against a well-known Zakarpattia priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Dmytro Sydor. The clergyman is accused of inciting religious hatred and violating citizens’ equality based on religion.