Local Authorities in Odessa Seek to Reclaim UOC Parish Church

A legal dispute is ongoing in Odessa over a building that was converted into a Orthodox church 18 years ago and granted for use to the local diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The Malynivka District Prosecutor’s Office is attempting to return the property to state ownership, alleging that the reconstruction and transfer of the premises violated the law. This was reported by the Odessa online news outlet “Dumskaya.”

The building in question is the former educational facility of the Odessa Trade and Economic Vocational College, located on Inglezi Street. This building currently serves as a parish of the UOC. Law enforcement officials filed a lawsuit with the Commercial Court of Odessa Region demanding that the reconstruction be declared illegal and the religious community’s ownership rights be annulled.

However, the court did not support the prosecutor’s claims. In her ruling, Judge Natalia Petrenko stated that the Odessa diocese acted within the framework of current legislation and lawfully acquired the building through an investment agreement, which provided for financing the reconstruction at the expense of the diocese itself. Therefore, it was recognized as a bona fide purchaser.

The court emphasized that the return of such property is possible only if the expenses are compensated from the state budget, which the prosecutor’s office did not provide. In addition, law enforcement failed to present an appraisal of the disputed property’s value and missed the statute of limitations.

Despite losing in the first instance, the prosecutor’s office filed an appeal. Meanwhile, the church building is under court-imposed arrest.

It is also worth noting that Oleksandr Smerechynskyi, a “chaplain” of the Ukrainian Navy and a representative of the UGCC, expressed several critical opinions regarding the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, particularly about its presence in Odessa and the significance of the Transfiguration Cathedral.