Petropavlivske. Armed Men Helped Seize UOC Church

Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (UOC)

Address: Kyiv Region, village of Petropavlivske, 2A Molodizhna St.

The raider seizure of the Petropavlivske UOC church in the village of Petropavlivske was preceded by lengthy preparations.

The raiders attempted to pressure the clergyman and the faithful in order to force them to transfer to the OCU. The rector of the church, Archpriest Vasyl Brynzei, and his family were threatened by armed representatives of the territorial defense.

Ultimately, the OCU raiders forged documents for the church.

A group of activists made several attempts to seize the church. With the support of armed men in military uniforms and the police, the OCU raiders succeeded in appropriating UOC property.

🔴From the beginning of March 2022, the congregation of the Church of Peter and Paul was forced to defend its church and its belonging to the UOC.

"It all started in March, when Drabynko came here — a schismatic who, apparently, decided to take our church into his diocese," said Father Vasyl. After this visit, local OCU activists began coming to the Petropavlivske church in groups of 20–25 people and "praying" on the church grounds.

"I had never seen them in the church before, except for a few people who had been our parishioners and left for the OCU," said the rector of the church, Father Vasyl Brynzei.

The rector also recounted that the head of the territorial defense and his deputy came to him, both armed, and asked him to transfer to the OCU "the easy way."

"They reminded me that I have a family and children," says Father Vasyl. "I asked them: 'Are you threatening me?' They said: 'What do you mean…' And I told them: 'Every person is afraid to die, but I don't only preach eternal life — I believe in it myself! If you ask me "The Church or your life?", I will choose the Church. And you can stand me up right here and shoot me, just shoot me in the face, not in the back!'"

The raiders, according to the priest, were embarrassed and left, but did not abandon their plans to seize the church.

Parishioners of the church testified that, while canvassing residents to come to a meeting, one OCU supporter stated: "One more meeting and we'll take the church," and regarding the priest and his family said: "These people won't be here anymore."

"We held a community meeting and unanimously voted to remain faithful to the UOC and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, and His Eminence Metropolitan Antoniy ratified the minutes," the priest recounted.

According to him, the church raiders have no legal grounds to claim the church, so they resort to moral pressure: posting insults on social media, intimidating parishioners, with the village authorities acting as the instigators of the seizure.

OCU supporters demanded that the registration documents for the land, the church, and the religious community be handed over to them, and Father Vasyl believed that, in addition to a forcible seizure, the raiders would attempt to forge documents and use them to "legally" obtain the church.

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On October 2, 2022, a group of OCU raiders attempted to seize the Petropavlivske UOC church.

From early in the morning, activists began gathering on the grounds of the Church of Peter and Paul, erected a canopy near the church, and began conducting a rite that lasted about half an hour. UOC faithful, in turn, began to pray while awaiting an assault on the church.

After completing their rite, the OCU activists proceeded toward the church. Orthodox faithful stood to defend their church. Scuffles broke out near the church; the OCU raiders attempted to provoke incidents, shoving and insulting the faithful.

Police arrived on the scene and prevented the seizure of the church in Petropavlivske, putting a stop to the provocations by the OCU.

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On October 30, 2022, OCU raiders staged another provocation near the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

They attempted to force their way into the church after a church service.

Police were called to the scene. Law enforcement officers prevented the intrusion into the church.

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On May 13, 2023, from early in the morning, OCU raiders began seizing the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul.

At around 8 a.m., several vehicles carrying raiders pulled up to the church. The rector, Father Vasyl Brynzei, attempted to enter the church, but was blocked by 3 OCU activists. They prevented the priest from passing and attempted to twist his arms.

The raiders were already on the church grounds and had managed to break down the church doors. The gates of the church grounds were blocked by fighters in uniform and balaclavas.

Parishioners began arriving at the church and attempted to gain entry. OCU activists attacked the faithful, and several of them were injured. One parishioner had his head injured by OCU fighters.

The case concerning the unlawful re-registration of the church was still before the court at that time. But the raiders decided not to wait for a court ruling.

Moreover, they announced a demand to seize the home of the priest's family.

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On May 14, 2023, in the village of Petropavlivske, Kyiv Region, OCU raiders cut off the gas supply, shut off the electricity, and slashed the tires on the vehicle of the rector of the seized church, Fr. Vasyl Brynzei, while UOC faithful were celebrating the Liturgy in the church house.

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On May 26, 2023, OCU raiders discarded numerous items belonging to the UOC community's property as garbage.

Among the parish property discarded by the raiders was a church newspaper bearing images of the cross and icons of the saints.

(Source: Project "DOZOR on the First Cossack")