St. Nicholas Church in Kiev was handed over to the local Catholic community

on January 6, 2026, the St. Nicholas Church in the capital was solemnly handed over to the religious community — St. Nicholas Parish of the Roman Catholic Church — for free use. The ceremony was attended and addressed by dignitaries, including the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Sviridenko, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine — Minister of Culture Tetyana Berezhnaya, Deputy Heads of the Office of the President of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk and Olena Kovalska, People’s Deputy of Ukraine Rostislav Tistik, and Chairman of the DESS Victor Elensky.

According to the State Service of Ukraine on Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), the process of returning the church to the believers lasted for years. Among the objective and subjective factors that prevented it, the key factor was the location of the National House of Organ and Chamber Music in the church building.

As stated by the head of the DESS, Victor Elensky, the institution «consistently defends the need to return religious buildings and property alienated by the communist regime to the faithful.»

«The return of the Church of St. Nicholas became an important milestone in the process of restoration of historical justice and violated rights of believers, emphasizing the commitment of the state to the principles of freedom of conscience», — stated in the press service of the DESS.

We will remind, earlier we reported that a special commission of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine recommended to judicially terminate the lease agreement of the Holy Assumption Pochaev Lavra, concluded with the Holy Assumption Pochaev Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The reason for this decision was an earlier inspection on the territory of the monastery, which, according to the MCIP, revealed violations.