Head of OCU celebrates religious events in selected Cathedral of Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of UOC

on January 31, 2026, the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, performed a religious service in the Holy Dormition Cathedral of Volodymyr, which was taken from the Diocese of Volodymyr-Volyn of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The event was attended by several hundred people, including military personnel, local officials, and MPs who organized the expropriation of the cathedral from the canonical Church.

According to the regional publication Volynnews.com, several streets in Volodymyr were blocked for the arrival of the head of the OCU. For the meeting, Dumenko was brought from the location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, a week before the event, regional Telegram channels and Facebook groups actively offered a free trip to meet the head of the OCU in the selected Cathedral of the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the UOC.

In his speech, Epifaniy Dumenko shared his personal memories and dreams, in particular, he admitted that at different times in his life he dreamed of serving both in the Kyiv Cave Monastery and the Assumption Cathedral in Volodymyr. According to him, this dream has now come true.

Earlier, we reported that the religious community of the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the UOC of Volodymyr, whose church was taken away by the state, continues to have a full-fledged liturgical life in a specially adapted building. Previously, the clergy and faithful of the UOC performed services in the open air, in front of the closed doors of the church, which had been their second home for decades.