MP Guz: the state has levers for the return of the Zimnensky monastery

Ukrainian MP Ihor Guz has said that the state has legal mechanisms for the early termination of the lease of the Zimnya Holy Dormition Monastery, which is now used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s women’s monastic community. As a precedent, the politician cited the recent expropriation of the Holy Assumption Cathedral of the Volodymyr-Volyn diocese of the UOC in Volodymyr into state ownership and its subsequent transfer to the OCU for five years. The words of the politician reports the edition «Volynskie Novosti».

According to the publication, Guz criticized the decision of the former chairman of the Volyn Regional State Administration Yuriy Pohulyayko, who extended the lease of the Zimnensky monastery until 2069, calling it dangerous for the state interests in conditions of war. He emphasized that with «a healthy sense and patriotic position» such a decision could not have been made now.

The deputy recalled that the situation with the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir showed the reality of the «legal way»: at the end of the lease term and after court decisions, the temple was taken away from the UOC, returned to the state and handed over to the OCU.

At the same time, according to Guzya, the case of the Zimny Monastery is more complicated because of the long-term contract, but this does not make the situation hopeless. He pointed out that the state has «legal tools,» including possible decisions of the National Security and Defense Council and other legal mechanisms applicable to «protect national interests.» In addition, he reminded that the lease of the Nizkinitsky monastery of the UOC, located nearby, has been extended until 2050.

The politician also drew attention to the «asymmetry» of the decisions made at the same time: 50-year lease for the community occupying the Zimnensky monastery and only 5 years for the OCU community on the Uspensky Cathedral. He hinted at the existence of unaffiliated circumstances between individual church and officials without going into details.

In addition, Guz said that he plans to meet with Culture Minister Tatyana Berezhnaya in the near future to discuss next steps. He is confident that the issue of the Zimna and Nizkinitsa monasteries will be resolved «in the near future.»

«In the near future, I plan to meet with the Minister of Culture, Mrs. Berezhnaya, to discuss this issue. Yes, there are legal difficulties, because the lease agreements for the Zimnensky and Nyzkinitsky monasteries were extended until 2069 and 2050. But the state has levers — it is a decision of the National Security and Defense Council and other legal mechanisms. Therefore, I am confident that these issues will be resolved in the near future,» — said Guz.

We will remind, on January 31, 2026, the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko made cultic activities in the selected from the Vladimir-Volyn diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Holy Assumption Cathedral of the city of Vladimir. 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.