OCU celebrated the expropriation of the UOC church in Kyiv

On Trinity Sunday, representatives of the OCU held a «solemn service» in the Kyrylivska Church—one of the oldest churches in the capital, located on the territory of the National Reserve «Saint Sophia of Kyiv.» The church, which had belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for many years, was now transferred to the OCU structure, which its representatives present as a «historic event.» This was reported by the «Glavkom» website.

Commenting on the event, Lesia Chervinska, founder of the «Institute of Public Communications,» stated: «Recently, for the first time in many decades, a service was held in the Kyrylivska Church in the Ukrainian language. This is a historic event. And against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian war—even more so. Religion in this war, like language, history, and cultural identity, is a weapon. We must call things by their names and not feel any hesitation about it.»

According to Chervinska, now, with the «blessing» of the head of the OCU, Epiphanius Dumenko, the Kyrylivska Church will serve as the center of the Luhansk diocese of the OCU.

The «service» was led by OCU hierarch Lavrentiy Myhovych and other representatives of the OCU. Also, if you look at the photos from the «festive service,» you can see that fewer than 50 people gathered in the church.

It should also be noted that on June 9, 2025, the head of the OCU, Epiphanius Dumenko, conducted religious ceremonies in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Chernihiv, which had previously been expropriated by the state from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. During his visit, Dumenko awarded the head of the local «reserve,» Natalia Rebrova, who actively contributed to the expulsion of the UOC from the church.