The court decided to expropriate another temple of Cherkasy diocese of the UOC in favor of the state

St. Michael’s Church, which is an architectural monument of national importance in the town of Horodishche in Cherkasy region, was taken away from the religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in favor of the state by a court decision. The Court of Appeal declared illegal the transfer of the temple into private hands of the religious organization, which took place in 2018.

As reported by the publication ZAXID.NET with reference to the Office of the Prosecutor General, prosecutors managed to prove in court that in May 2018 the right of private ownership of St. Michael’s Church was registered illegally. Based on this, the court ordered the local parish of the UOC to return the historic building to the state.

In the near future, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy will determine the institution that will become the new balance holder of St. Michael’s Church. This organization will be responsible for proper care, protection and preservation of the unique monument.

St. Michael’s Church was built in 1844 in neo-Gothic style according to the project of Italian architect Giorgio Torricelli. Its architecture with high spires and lancet windows gives it a resemblance to a Catholic church, which is uncharacteristic for Orthodox churches. On the ceiling of the church there is a unique wall painting of the XIX century — «The Last Judgment», the area of which exceeds 100 square meters.

We will remind, earlier we reported that the Uman district prosecutor’s office achieved the return of the unique Cossack Trinity Church of the XVIII century, located in the village of Pugachevka, Uman district, Cherkassy region. This wooden three-domed building of 1761, which has the status of an architectural monument of national importance, was under the threat of destruction due to the inaction of the Cherkassy regional state administration in the registration of property rights. In addition, a few years earlier, the church had been taken away from the local religious community of the UOC in favor of the PCU.