Tryskyny. Local Authorities and Raiders Seized a UOC Church
Church of St. Nicholas (UOC)
Address: Rivne Oblast, village of Tryskyny, Shkilna St.
A group of OCU raiders, consisting of residents of the village of Tryskyny, secretly forged documents for the St. Nicholas UOC church.
After waiting for the illegal re-registration to be completed, the criminals broke onto the church grounds and seized the building.
The religious community of the church was forced to leave their church amid threats and violence.
On August 2, 2023, the community of the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Tryskyny, Rivne Oblast, issued a video address in which it declared its fidelity to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
"We have gathered here today to bear witness to our fidelity to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, our priest Father Vasyl, and our canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the parishioners emphasized.
The faithful recorded this address following calls by OCU representatives to seize the church from the UOC and hand it over to them. Such calls were made during the funerals of servicemen killed at the front.
Local OCU activists regularly used the funerals of Armed Forces of Ukraine servicemen to publicly incite hatred against UOC faithful and clergy.
On September 18, 2023, a criminal group organized a meeting at the village club, at which participants voted for the "transfer" of the St. Nicholas parish to the OCU.
At the same time, Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) employees were going door-to-door to the homes of UOC faithful.
On the same day, the church community held a parish assembly at which 90 parishioners unanimously reaffirmed their fidelity to the UOC.
The community notified the Head of the Rivne Oblast State Administration, Vitaliy Koval, of its decision; however, by his order, on October 26 the parish was re-registered to the OCU.
On November 5, 2023, at approximately 5:00 p.m., a group of raiders attempted to seize the St. Nicholas UOC church, which the Oblast State Administration had re-registered to the OCU.
As the church's rector, Fr. Vasyl Okhrymiuk, reported to SPZH, to carry out the seizure of the shrine, the criminals brought in a group of unknown individuals who have no connection to the church or to the village of Tryskyny. Some of the attackers were intoxicated.
The raiders cut the locks and entered the church. Police officers present at the scene did not react to the unlawful actions and did not allow parishioners into the church.
To support the seizure, Liudmyla Marynina, a member of the Oblast Council, arrived at the scene, but parishioners blocked her entry into the church.
Late in the evening, the police did allow several parishioners to enter the church, but the criminals used physical force against the faithful.
Furthermore, the raiders also resisted the police officers.
The standoff at the church lasted 11 hours. At 4:00 a.m., the criminal group left the church.
The church was sealed, and police established a watch post near it.
On February 29, 2024, a group of OCU raiders once again invaded the grounds of the Holy St. Nicholas UOC Church.
According to reports from the scene, this time the criminals came to the church to steal building materials belonging to UOC parishioners.
OCU activists brought a tractor onto which they began loading planks of wood.
Parishioners of the church prevented the robbery.
In addition, the raiders blocked the faithful from accessing the church grounds.
According to reports from the scene, the Orthodox Christians were attempting to reach a small memorial — a plaque dedicated to a UOC parishioner and serviceman killed in the war.
The criminals began to humiliate and verbally abuse the deceased soldier's mother. Her son stepped forward to defend the faithful woman.
(Source: the "DOZOR on the First Cossack" project)
On February 2–3, 2025, the first church services were held at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Comfort and Consolation" in the village of Tryskyny, Sarny district.
After OCU supporters seized their St. Nicholas Church, the Orthodox faithful held services in a village house that served as their prayer room for 1 year and 4 months.
Immediately after the seizure of the church, the Orthodox residents of the village sought an opportunity to build a new church. After some time, construction was able to begin, and within 6 months, through the efforts of the faithful, a new church was erected in the village — in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Comfort and Consolation."
On February 2, on the eve of the new church's first patronal feast, the faithful solemnly processed in a cross procession from the prayer house to their new shrine, after which the first All-Night Vigil was served in it.
On February 3, on the day of veneration of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Comfort and Consolation," the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the new church. The service was led by Archimandrite Anthony (Hryban), abbot of the Intercession Monastery in the village of Velyki Tseptsevychi of the Sarny Diocese, co-served by clergy of the Sarny Diocese and visiting clergy.
After the Liturgy, Father Anthony congratulated the rector and parishioners on this joyful event in the life of the community.
In conclusion, those who built the church were presented with copies of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Comfort and Consolation."
КУ ст. 35 (свобода вероисповедания) · ЕСПЧ ст. 9 · Нормы ООН