Official: Irpin UOC temple in is “taken under control” to make it a reserve

Church of the Holy Trinity in Irpen. Photo: UOJ

The authorities in Irpin are making plans to create a "historical and cultural reserve" on the territory of the Trinity Temple of the UOC, which was forcibly transferred to the OCU during a raider assembly. This was reported on her Facebook page by Yevhenia Antonyuk, the head of the Department of Culture, Nationalities, and Religions of the Irpin City Council.

The temple was seized by the paramilitary formation “Municipal Varta” on the orders of the city mayor. This is evidenced by a photocopy of the order of Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn.

The document, dated October 26, 2023, in particular, states that “in view of the decision of the community meeting to change the confessional affiliation of the Holy Trinity Church from the UOC to the OCU,” the "Municipal Varta" must “ensure public order and the protection of the newly identified historical object -cultural heritage, including preventing the removal of material assets from the territory of the Holy Trinity Church until the completion of the procedure for changing confessional affiliation.”

According to Yevhenia Antonyuk, the temple was “taken under protection” in order to preserve the property for the future “historical and cultural reserve” that is planned to be created on the territory of the church.

“Even today we understand that in the future the church and its territory can serve as a powerful religious center of the community and at the same time a museum and landscape complex in the heart of our city,” the official writes. “To this end, from October 26, the church building, in order to prevent the theft of property, especially that which may turn out to be an integral part of a cultural heritage site, was placed under protection by order of the Irpin mayor Alexander Markushin.”

Antonyuk said that on November 2, at a session of the City Council, she “initiated the creation of a historical and cultural reserve on the territory of the Holy Trinity Church.”

According to the official, “employees of the cultural department are preparing a list of what (besides the building) is of cultural value, and proposals have been made for their preservation to the new rector of the temple and the audit commission.”

As the UOJ reported, the Trinity Church, located in the center of Irpen, is the oldest in the city – it was built in 1915.

On October 25, 2023, the church community held a parish meeting, at which they unanimously voted to remain within the fold of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

On the same day, a raider meeting organized by the local authorities took place in the city council building, the participants of which voted for the “transfer” of the Trinity Church to the OCU. The clergy and parishioners of the temple were not allowed into the hall where the voting took place. After this, people in camouflage and police drove up to the church, drove the believers out and closed the shrine.

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