In Vinnytsia, the UOC defends a church threatened with forced re-registration to the OCU

On April 30, a key meeting is scheduled to take place at the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration that may set a precedent in the ongoing religious conflict between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The case concerns the St. Seraphim Church in the village of Yakushyntsi, which has become the target of an attempted forced transition to the OCU. This was reported by the «Dozor» program on the First Cossack Channel.

According to parishioners of the UOC, on April 27, OCU activists held a meeting aiming to re-register the religious community. However, the legality of this gathering is highly questionable: many attendees were residents of nearby villages, including Zarvantsi, with no connection to the actual parish. The UOC claims numerous falsifications were involved in the process.

Based on this meeting, a set of documents was submitted to the Vinnytsia Regional Administration requesting changes in the official registry. Unlike previous instances where re-registration often occurred without notifying the legitimate UOC community, this time the process took a different turn. The administration officially informed the UOC parish of the attempt to alter its registration, thus allowing them to legally challenge the action.

On April 30, both sides — representatives of the UOC and OCU activists — are expected to meet within the regional administration to address the issue. For UOC parishioners, this represents an opportunity to defend their sacred place within the framework of the law.

It is also worth noting that on April 12, 2025, clergy and parishioners of the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in Mohyliv-Podilskyi (Vinnytsia region) held a parish meeting to discuss their denominational affiliation. By an overwhelming majority, the community reaffirmed its loyalty to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine.