In Chernihiv region, UOC priest falls into schism and joins OCU

Archpriest Oleksandr Yakovenko, rector of the religious community of the UOC Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Lavy, Chernihiv region, has decided to fall into schism. He announced this on November 13, during a territorial meeting, which considered the issue of the “transition” of the local religious community to the OCU.

Itis reported that the meeting was attended by 29 people, and all of them “supported the decision to transfer.” The reasons for this decision were voiced by the rector of the community, Archpriest Alexander Yakovenko. According to him, the reason was the position of the Russian Orthodox Church on Ukraine. “The Church, which is supposed to be on the side of Love, blesses the war with us, Ukrainians, and calls us Nazis. That is why we need to be in the canonical Ukrainian Church, recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and not in the Moscow Church,” the priest emphasized.

Earlier, we reported that the rector of the parish in honor of the Apostle John the Theologian in the village of Kiselevka, Chernihiv district, Chernihiv region, Archimandrite Seraphim (Lisovy), fell into schism and joined the OCU. The event took place on August 6, 2025.