In Chernivtsi, the religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is suing the authorities over a church on hospital grounds

In Chernivtsi, a legal dispute continues between the religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the city council over a church dedicated to the Great Martyr Panteleimon, located on the territory of the former city hospital. The city authorities have terminated the lease agreement and are demanding that the building be returned to municipal ownership, citing legal restrictions. Representatives of the UOC parish, in turn, insist on their right to use the church, which was built with their own funds.

According to molbuk.ua, monk Luke (Krulik) spoke on behalf of the UOC community. He said the church was built and furnished exclusively with donations from parishioners, which cost over half a million hryvnias. He emphasized that the original agreements with the hospital (2008 and 2011) enshrined the “inalienable right to conduct church activities.” However, at the end of 2021, the community was informed of the termination of the lease agreement and demanded that the premises be returned.

Disagreeing with this decision, the UOC parish appealed to the commercial court, which ultimately confirmed the legality of the termination of the agreement. While the court proceedings were ongoing, from the end of 2021 to October 2024, the community was charged a penalty for using the premises in the amount of over 135,000 hryvnias. Representatives of the parish consider this unfair, since they financed the construction themselves.

Lesya Nastas, head of the municipal property management department, commented on the situation on behalf of the city authorities. She reported that the Chernivtsi City Council had decided to terminate the lease on April 27, 2023. Since the organization did not vacate the premises voluntarily, the authorities were forced to go to court to enforce its return. “It [the religious organization] must vacate the premises and return the property to the community,” the official said. She also added that the organization could apply for a new lease through the Prozorro system if it provided evidence of no affiliation with Moscow, which, according to her, had not been done.

On June 17, 2025, in Chernivtsi, there was an attempt to forcibly seize the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by raiders associated with the OCU. According to reports from believers and representatives of the Chernivtsi-Bukovina Diocese, about 50 people in balaclavas and sportswear blocked all entrances to the temple. Eyewitnesses report that the attackers used force against believers and also used tear gas. One of the videos from the scene shows the bloodied hand of one of the victims.