Court transfers Pochaiv Holy Spirit Skete complex of the UOC to the state

Pochaiv Holy Spirit Skete Monastery. Photo: Raskolam

On August 14, 2024, the Commercial Court of Ternopil Oblast ruled to expropriate the complex of buildings belonging to the Pochaiv Holy Spirit Skete Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), according to a statement from the court's press service.

The court based its decision on the claim that the transfer of the architectural monument buildings to the Holy Spirit Pochaiv Monastery of the UOC was conducted with violations.

The Ternopil Regional Military (State) Administration filed a lawsuit against the local authorities, asserting that their decision to recognize the UOC's ownership of the Pochaiv Holy Spirit Monastery complex violated state interests.

The court ruled that decisions regarding the management of religious buildings or property are the exclusive authority of regional state administrations. Local self-government bodies do not have the authority to manage religious buildings or property. Consequently, the court declared the local authority's decision to recognize the UOC's ownership of the Pochaiv Holy Spirit Monastery complex as illegal, canceling both the state registration of these rights and the certificate issued to confirm them (Decision of the Commercial Court of Ternopil Oblast dated 14.08.2024 in case No. 921/788/23).

As previously reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ), Acting Minister of Culture Rostyslav Karandeyev stated that the Ministry is working on transferring the Pochaiv and Sviatohirsk Lavras to state ownership.

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