Expropriation of the UOC Holy Michael's Monastery in Pereiaslav
State expropriation of the UOC Archangel Michael Monastery in Pereiaslav
Address: Kyiv Oblast, city of Pereiaslav, 34 Kripосna St.
The UOC Holy Michael's Monastery was built on the site of the ancient St. Michael's Cathedral, destroyed by Khan Batu in 1239.
The stone church and bell tower were erected in the 18th century. During the Soviet period, the monastery premises were expropriated and nationalized by the authorities. The church housed the ethnography department of the history museum.
In 2011, a UOC monastic community was established and granted use of the monastery's premises and grounds.
Through the efforts of the monastic brotherhood and the monastery's parishioners, the church and cells were restored after years of neglect.
In 2022, the city authorities of Pereiaslav and OCU activists initiated the process of seizing the monastery and its de facto expropriation, with subsequent transfer to the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve "Pereiaslav."
On May 19, 2022, the Pereiaslav City Council banned UOC faithful and clergy from holding religious services.
City council deputies claim that the ban on the UOC will ensure "the prevention of a split in the Pereiaslav city territorial community along religious lines."
One of the provisions of the document terminating UOC activities in Pereiaslav is an appeal to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to support draft law No. 7204 "On the ban of the UOC on the territory of Ukraine."
The city council's resolution also states that churches and monasteries of the UOC located within the Pereiaslav city territorial community would be recommended to change their ecclesiastical jurisdiction in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations."
The UOC Holy Michael's Monastery also fell under the unlawful ban.
On June 23, 2022, a group of OCU activists and local government representatives organized a territorial community assembly at a community center in the city of Pereiaslav.
The raiders, purportedly acting on behalf of UOC religious communities, held a vote for the so-called "transfer to the OCU" of three UOC churches in the city.
According to eyewitness accounts, the perpetrators planned to include the UOC Holy Michael's Monastery in the package of votes.
City Mayor Viacheslav Saulko persuaded the raiders not to vote on the fate of the monastery, because the monastic brotherhood holds the premises under a lease agreement.
(Source: Project "DOZOR on the First Cossack")
On June 9, 2023, a group of OCU raiders attempted to enter the grounds of the UOC Holy Michael's Monastery.
The clergy and parishioners of the monastery, led by abbot Archimandrite Antonii, were on the premises and refused to allow the intruders to enter.
The raiders justified their attempted entry by claiming they were "executing a court decision." The monastery's abbot objected that their "decision" was fraudulent and that the monastery matter was being heard by a commercial court.
On July 20, 2023, a court ordered the UOC monastic brotherhood to vacate the monastery premises.
This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine on its Telegram channel.
"On July 20, the Commercial Court of Kyiv Oblast issued a ruling in case No. 911/638/23 on the claim of the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve 'Pereiaslav' against the Religious Community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Michael's Parish of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv Oblast," the statement reads.
On November 23, 2023, the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal ordered the UOC community to vacate the St. Michael's Church in the city of Pereiaslav, Kyiv Oblast, and hand it over to the National Reserve "Pereiaslav."
This was announced by the press service of the Ministry of Culture.
The appellate court thus upheld the ruling of the Commercial Court of July 20, 2023, which granted the claim of the "Pereiaslav" reserve and ordered the UOC to vacate the church.
The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine participated as a third party in the case concerning the vacation of St. Michael's Church.
On April 10, 2024, the Supreme Court of Ukraine in Kyiv issued a ruling ordering the return of the UOC Holy Michael's Monastery to the state.
In its decision, the court ordered "the removal of obstacles to the exercise of the right of use" of St. Michael's Church by the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve "Pereiaslav."
The UOC religious community was ordered to voluntarily vacate St. Michael's Church and transfer it for use by the reserve.
It is reported that the Supreme Court's ruling is final and not subject to appeal.
At a city council session on November 20, 2025, deputies announced plans for the forcible eviction of the brotherhood and parishioners from the UOC Holy Michael's Monastery.
Government representatives adopted a decision to "remove obstacles" to the operation of the reserve, effectively instructing state agencies to evict the UOC religious community from the Michael's complex. This involves engaging the Ministry of Justice and police to "clear the site."
The authorities assert that the church de jure belongs to the state and is on the balance sheet of the reserve. The fact that the UOC community not only restored the church from ruins but also maintained it for many years without state assistance is being ignored.
On May 11, 2026, representatives of the police and the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve "Pereiaslav" began seizing the UOC Holy Michael's Monastery.
Special forces and enforcement service officers surrounded the monastery, blocking all entrances and exits.
Footage published from the scene shows security forces using physical force against believers who attempted to defend the monastery. Police officers were literally dragging Orthodox Christians away from the monastery gates.
Police officers also pulled away the monastery's abbot, Archimandrite Antonii, after which they broke the locks.
Sources of the "Dozor on the First Cossack" project report that the monastery has come under the control of security forces and museum staff, and that museum representatives have now entered the monastery premises and are conducting an inventory of the monastery's property.
Reserve representatives began a large-scale "inventory" of the property, while law enforcement officers expelled parishioners, referring to them as "unauthorized persons."
It is reported that museum representatives, backed by special forces, forced their way even into the monks' personal cells, over which state agencies have no legal rights whatsoever.
КУ ст. 35 (свобода вероисповедания) · ЕСПЧ ст. 9 · Нормы ООН