Varash. Local Authorities and the OCU Attempted to Seize the UOC Cathedral

Transfiguration of the Lord Cathedral of the UOC

Address: Rivne Oblast, city of Varash, Soborna Street

The Transfiguration Cathedral of the UOC in Varash became the target of an OCU raiding operation and local authorities in 2023. The city's mayor personally organized an illegal gathering of the territorial community, at which a process of document falsification regarding the church was initiated.

Later, a group of OCU raiders attempted to enter the cathedral grounds under the guise of an "audit commission."

On April 5, 2023, a "people's assembly" that gathered on Independence Square in the city of Varash "transferred" the UOC church to the OCU.

City mayor Oleksandr Menzul referred to the gathering on the square as "an assembly of the religious community of the parish of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Sarny Diocese of the UOC regarding the transition to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine."

Menzul stated that a total of 1,015 people gathered, and 1,012 of them "voted" for the "change of subordination in canonical and organizational matters of the religious community by introducing corresponding amendments to the statute." Three people "abstained."

The participants of the "assembly" also resolved to "approve the statute of the religious community in a new version, terminate the powers of the parish council of the religious community, carry out registration of the statute of the religious community in a new version, and effect state registration of changes to the information about the religious community contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs, and Public Associations."

(Source: Menzul's Telegram channel)

On August 22, 2023, a court ruled lawful the assembly at which the community allegedly voted for the "transfer" of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Sarny Diocese of the UOC in Varash to the OCU.

This is evidenced by a ruling published on the Unified State Register of Court Decisions (USRCD) website.

In his complaint, one of the founders of the Transfiguration Cathedral community of the UOC demanded that the OCU believers' decisions on the transfer of the church and on the creation of a new statute of the religious community be declared unlawful and annulled.

According to the plaintiff, all decisions at the OCU assembly were made unlawfully, as the UOC community had already held its own assembly at which 1,528 of its members voted to remain in the UOC.

"The decision was made not by the parish assembly but by a territorial community assembly — by persons representing a group of deputies together with other individuals who are not participants (founders, members) of the religious community," he added.

(Source: Unified State Register of Court Decisions)

On May 13, 2025, Varash City Council deputy of Rivne Oblast Oleksandr Derevianchuk announced on Facebook a visit by the OCU "audit commission" to the UOC Transfiguration Cathedral.

According to Derevianchuk, the "auditors" intend to arrive on May 15, 2025.

Furthermore, the deputy publicly employed hate rhetoric against UOC believers and clergy.

He stated that "for more than 2 years, former rectors from the Moscow church have been illegally holding and using the building complex and property of the OCU religious community."

"In 2 years, not a single court has issued any favorable ruling on the matters being appealed by the Moscow church. The Moscow priests are winding up their brainwashed believers and want a bloody confrontation for a good picture in russia," the deputy asserted.

(Source: Derevianchuk's Facebook page)

On May 15, 2025, several OCU activists and clergy calling themselves an "audit commission" came to the UOC Transfiguration Cathedral to inventory its property.

Dozens of parishioners were present at the cathedral entrance. There were very few OCU representatives. Police were present but did not intervene.

A local deputy was present at the scene. The OCU representatives left the cathedral grounds but remained waiting in a car.

UOC believers defended their shrine from the OCU's encroachments.

Varash City Council deputy Oleksandr Derevianchuk is actively participating in the raiding.

"They transferred us to another denomination without us. We have entered a legal process," said a priest who was present at the scene.

He emphasized that 1,528 parishioners of the cathedral voted to remain within the UOC.

"But, despite everything, the state administration re-registered the cathedral. For 2 years and one month now, they have considered us to be worshipping unlawfully. The Commercial Court ruled against us. But the Court of Appeal overturned the Commercial Court's decision, and we are in the midst of legal proceedings."

(Source: UOJ)

On May 20, 2025, another attempted seizure of the UOC Transfiguration Cathedral in Varash, Rivne Oblast, was again thwarted.

A report by the YouTube channel "NIKA" states that in the morning a religious community gathered near the church for a prayer vigil.

(video)

During the reading of the akathist to the Resurrection of Christ, a small group of people began forcing their way toward the church, consisting of OCU cleric Yosyp, deputy Oleksandr Derevianchuk, and the new "owner" of the cathedral, Ms. Khvishchuk. But after pushing through the crowd, they were unable to reach the church doors and retreated. According to parishioners, the OCU "audit commission" promised to return with angle grinders.

After the akathist, the abbot of the Intercession Monastery in the village of Tseptsevychi, Archimandrite Antoniy, emphasized that the believers came to their church not to fight or to riot, but to pray and defend their shrine, which they had built with their own funds.

"And the law is on our side. And whatever is said today, documents can be falsified for any apartment or any company through a raider seizure, and it can be seized. But will that be right? Will it be in accordance with conscience?" the archimandrite addressed the believers.

"If you were to tell any ordinary citizen today: 'We will come and take your apartment,' a criminal case would be opened immediately, right? That's right. And today anyone who has taken a liking to a company wants to take it, but there is the law," he emphasized. The archimandrite called on OCU members to build their own rather than take what belongs to others.

"Imagine if a person has settled in, already had dinner, is about to go to sleep, and suddenly people burst in and say: 'This is our apartment, this is our home, here are the documents, please.' What would be the reaction of the people living in that apartment? The reaction would be like ours today. This reaction — we are reacting adequately. Not everyone's nerves can hold out, but I ask you very sincerely: preserve love. Love covers a multitude of sins," said Archimandrite Antoniy.

(Source: UOJ)