In Mikhaylivka-Rubezhivka, defense forces and Irpin mayor seize UOC temple

The “priest” of the OCU with armed men takes part in the seizure of the UOC temple in Mikhaylivka-Rubezhivka. Photo: screenshot of the video on the First Cossack Youtube channel.

On December 13, 2022, in Mikhaylivka-Rubezhivka (Kyiv region), the “priest” of the OCU and the mayor of Irpin Oleksandr Markushyn led armed men in balaclavas to the UOC church in honor of Archangel Michael and blocked the believers from entering the monastery. The rector of the temple, Archpriest Petro Chopyk, spoke about this in a video posted on the First Cossack YouTube channel.

“In the morning I left for a meeting of the clergy in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. A neighbor called and said there was a seizure, so I returned to the temple. Upon my arrival, I saw the OCU members and the territorial defense led by Markushyn ... I don’t know if they entered the temple or not, no one gave them the keys, but the gate was closed and we were not allowed into the territory of the temple,” said Fr. Petro.

Parishioners gathered near the temple. The father rector tried to enter the temple, but the representatives of the territorial defense, with whom the “priest” of the OCU stood, blocked his path.

“For sixteen years, I have been praying here with you, living, and you have made enemies out of me and my parishioners. Fellows, do you have any fear of God? During the war, on the contrary, it is necessary to unite, rather than look for an enemy in the Church. You do not let us into the temple of God, where we save our souls and pray for Ukraine, for peace,” the priest told the invaders. He offered to show a list of Rubezhivka residents who are fighting on the front lines, and for whom the believers of the UOC constantly offer prayers.

“The defense should protect us from enemies, not from our fellow countrymen, our parishioners. Do you remember what ‘Berkut’ from the Maidan ended up with? This is how it will end for you too, because it is chaos,” said one of the parishioners. The member of the territorial defense responded by saying that they had come to "defend the temple."

Father Petro also reminded Dumenko's supporters that the community is currently having litigation – suing representatives of the OCU, who had already tried to seize the temple. Father Petro offered to wait until the end of the trial and act according to the law.

The parishioners of the temple indignantly told the armed people how much the community had done for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for the villagers.

"Where's the justice? When the war came here, how much assistance the father collected everywhere, how much he helped the village, how much was collected for the military, how much was sent to the war! Is this your gratitude for everything? The guys (from the territorial defense – Ed.) don’t live here, they don’t know anything; if they were our parishioners, they would know how we lived and what we did,” the parishioners complained.

According to Archpriest Petro Chopyk and members of the UOC religious community in honor of Archangel Michael, Irpin Mayor Olexandr Markushyn and Dumenko's supporters are behind the seizure.

Recall that the raiders of the OCU have already tried to seize the Church of the Archangel Michael on November 12, 2022. In July, the community of the temple confirmed its loyalty to the UOC.

As the UOJ wrote, in Sinhury, Zhytomyr region, supporters of the OCU blocked the temple of the UOC and demanded that the community join the OCU.

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