Kremenchuk. OCU raiders seized the UOC cathedral
Dormition Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Address: Poltava Oblast, Kremenchuk, Makarenko Street, 107.
The Dormition Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church became the target of raiders from the OCU in the summer of 2024. The criminal group falsified the church's documents and illegally re-registered the cathedral.
The religious community survived several assaults on the cathedral, for which the OCU raiders hired militants.
The church was seized, and the court sided with the criminal group.
"On July 1, 2024 (that's the date listed in their protocol), Oksana Kuchmenko and Olha Ponomarenko gathered 26 people in an unknown location, not on church grounds or in a park, but possibly in their own home, and decided to seize the Holy Dormition Cathedral," the cathedral community states.
The post states that the meeting that led to the re-registration may not have taken place at all: "Perhaps there was no meeting; they went from house to house to sign, or perhaps they signed for everyone themselves. We don't know."
Documents provided to the Poltava Regional State Administration resulted in the UOC religious community being deprived of its church without the knowledge of its parishioners.
"They submitted incomprehensible protocols to the Poltava Regional State Administration, and miraculously, without the knowledge of the UOC religious community, the re-registration took place." And now, as they present themselves, they have become the new owners of the church and other community property. People who have done nothing for the cathedral, who never attended services, and who never prayed or went to church."
The community also criticizes the state of the OCU church located nearby: "Not far from the Dormition Cathedral is an OCU church that is constantly closed and in disrepair, both inside and out. The grounds are unkempt, and rags hang from the dirty windows. Liturgies are held once a week, which for some reason begin at 12:00, and there are no evening services at all."
According to the community, hundreds of parishioners regularly attend the UOC Holy Dormition Cathedral, as opposed to the 26 people listed in the documents of OCU activists.
"The OCU church was closed because people don't attend it, which means the UOC church should be closed too," community representatives conclude, hinting at the activists' motives.
On September 13, 2024, representatives of the OCU illegally re-registered the UOC Assumption Cathedral and Trinity Church in Kremenchuk.
UOC believers note that a meeting of religious communities was held at both holy sites on September 1, at which a decision was made to remain firmly within the UOC. Despite the will of Orthodox Christians, the holy sites were illegally re-registered. The process of corporate raiding has effectively begun.
The trial was overseen by Feodosiy Ovcharuk, a former UOC cleric and now a cleric of the OCU.
On September 19, 2024, parishioners and clergy of the Assumption Cathedral and the Holy Trinity Church of the UOC in Kremenchuk defended their legal right to pray in their holy site.
The Kremenchuk Diocese reported that, on September 19, "according to reliable information, there were plans to seize churches using physical force and weapons."
The diocese recalled that in early September, these religious communities were illegally re-registered with the OCU.
"The parishioners of the Holy Dormition Cathedral and Holy Trinity Church express their loyalty to the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, and note their continued adherence to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the statement reads.
The press service published a corresponding video showing members of the religious community voting to remain within their Church.
A local media published a report from the scene and interviewed priests and believers of the UOC.
"This morning, a large police presence could be seen near this same Holy Trinity Church. As it turns out, representatives of the OCU planned to come and conduct a service in the church today, but the UOC clergy locked the gates and the building itself," the journalists write.
Father Pavlo, acting secretary of the Kremenchuk Diocese, emphasized in his commentary to the media that the religious community had not defected, and that "no individuals or legal entities were authorized to represent or speak on behalf of religious communities." Therefore, he is surprised that some parishioners could have defected to the OCU and cannot understand how the Poltava Regional Military Administration managed to re-register UOC churches under the jurisdiction of the OCU.
"Today they wanted to seize the church...," Father Pavlo stated.
After speaking with parishioners, journalists learned that some have been attending this church for 20 years and will continue to do so: "Specifically to their priest and specifically to the UOC."
On October 17, 2024, representatives of the OCU are attempted to seize the Holy Dormition Cathedral.
"A group of OCU representatives is currently attempting to raid the Holy Dormition Cathedral. We would like to remind you that such attempts have occurred repeatedly and are completely illegal," the report states.
A video published on the diocese's website shows men breaking the lock on the church doors.
During the evening service, unknown young men wearing balaclavas burst into the church, behaving aggressively and provoking parishioners. The intruders brought grinders and crowbars, which they used to cut the locks on the doors and replace the one on the main entrance.
Thanks to numerous parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the cathedral was successfully defended, but the building was closed and sealed by police.
The UOC religious community, gathered near the cathedral, expressed outrage at the lawlessness of the OCU supporters. The faithful chanted, "Feodosiy is a Judas, get out of our church." This refers to the OCU "archimandrite" Feodosiy , rector of the St. Seraphim of Sarov stavropegic parish.
The church's religious community, remaining faithful to the UOC under the leadership of Metropolitan Onufriy, continues to fight for the right to pray in their holy site.
On October 26, 2024, another raider attack on the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Kremenchuk occurred.
The religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) reports that a group of representatives of the OCU attempted to seize control of the church, which has happened repeatedly and is illegal. The cathedral's religious community remains faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the leadership of Metropolitan Onufriy and intends to defend its right to hold services in its holy site.
A group of OCU members, along with local activists, attempted to enter the church to bring in church utensils for a "service" they planned for the following day. The cathedral community, led by Father Joseph, attempted to prevent them. The arguments were accompanied by shouting and accusations.
Father Joseph recalled that an agreement had previously been reached with OCU representative Feodosiy to close the church until a court decision was made to determine its ownership. Despite this, Feodosiy announced that an OCU "service" would be held the following day at 9:00 AM in the Dormition Cathedral. OCU representatives intend to move their property into the church, possibly even the following day at 9:00 AM.
Police were present at the scene and prevented clashes between the parties, but a final resolution to the conflict has not yet been reached.
On December 27, 2024, in Kremenchuk, representatives of the OCU cut the locks and entered the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
A statement published on the church's Facebook page describes the actions of the OCU representatives, which included offensive behavior.
"OCU raiders, having cut the locks, entered the Holy Dormition Cathedral to conduct a so-called inventory of church property. This all occurred with the tacit consent of law enforcement," the statement reads.
According to the statement, OCU activists "broke down the Royal Gates of the iconostasis and entered the altar." Particularly outrageous is the fact that one of the activists also entered the altar, despite the fact that church canons allow only priests and their assistants to enter.
"The activists behaved aggressively, were rude, vulgar, and used foul language. These raiders, who do not believe in God, are people who divide society and sow religious hatred," stated representatives of the Dormition Cathedral.
Archimandrite Feodosiy Ovcharuk, who has been banned from priesthood, led the seizure.
The report also notes that among those who came to inventory the property were no people who had previously contributed to the church. "Raiders who came to seize the property of the religious community of the UOC," the publication emphasized.
According to available information, OCU activists plan to hold their "service" in the cathedral on December 29.
On September 15, 2025, the Kyiv Commercial Court rejected the claim of representatives of the religious community of the Dormition Cathedral of the UOC to invalidate the minutes of the general meeting on the "transition" to the OCU and to overturn the order of the Poltava Regional State Administration.
The Kremenchuk newspaper reported this, citing Kremenchuk City Council deputy Bohdan Lazorenko.
According to him, the protocol recorded "the people's conscious and ideological choice" to "transition" to the OCU. Lazorenko asserts that this was the decision of the "religious community," and that only "Moscow priests" disagreed.
КУ ст. 35 (свобода вероисповедания) · ЕСПЧ ст. 9 · Нормы ООН