Clergy and monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) are obstructing the work of state inventory commissions in religious institutions, as local authorities hesitate to intervene.
This opinion was expressed by religious scholar Oleksandr Sahan in a comment to Ukrinform.
“This is possible because local authorities and communities essentially allow it. Local self-government bodies are reluctant to take responsibility and strictly follow the requirements of current legislation,” he stated.
According to the scholar, legislation contains sufficient provisions to curb the actions of clergy and monks, many of which were enacted even before the “Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Activities of Religious Organizations” law was passed by the Verkhovna Rada in August 2024. However, these provisions are not being enforced.
“No one wants to get involved in a scandal in the media, as it is impossible to predict the outcome. There have been cases where officials acted in accordance with the law but were penalized for it. There are also certain sympathies for the UOC-MP, including in the case of the Pochaiv Lavra – I wouldn’t rule out sympathies among local law enforcement representatives,” Professor Sahan noted.
Instances of obstruction to the authorities work at the Pochaiv Lavra have already occurred, and the situation, in the expert’s view, requires a decisive response from the responsible government bodies.
The scholar emphasized that violations of usage rules recorded last summer – including unauthorized constructions, repairs within a cultural heritage site, and the destruction of wall paintings – are already sufficient grounds to terminate the lease agreement through the courts. A legal mechanism for this exists.
As reported, on January 17, representatives of the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra barred an inventory commission created by the Kremenets-Pochaiv State Historical-Architectural Reserve, under the instruction of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, from conducting their work. Representatives of the state commission, along with a bureau of technical inventory (BTI) representative, attempted to inspect the premises but were denied access.
Later, Pochaiv Lavra spokesperson Archimandrite Havryil released a video statement explaining the tenants’ position. “We do not allow this illegal inventory. It is not an inventory but, in essence, a hybrid expropriation and confiscation,” said the archimandrite.
In June 2024, a ministry commission inspected six buildings within the complex and identified several violations, including unauthorized construction.
Source: Religious scholar on Pochaiv Lavra: sufficient grounds already exist to terminate UOC-MP lease
