Brovary. OCU raiders and police seized the cathedral

Cathedral of the Apostles Peter and Paul of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Address: Kyiv Oblast, Brovary, Kyivska Street, 229

The St. Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was seized by a criminal group from the OCU, in collusion with local authorities and the police.

The raider seizure of the cathedral was overseen by OCU cleric Oleksandr Lyman, who had previously been directly involved in the seizure of UOC churches in the Brovary district.

On March 13, 2025, the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was illegally re-registered as an OCU member.

This was announced by the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Oleksandr Levchuk, in his address to the faithful.

(Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists)

On March 17, 2025, government officials and raiders from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine demanded that the rector hand over the keys to the church building.

A group of people entered the church grounds. The raiders immediately grabbed the locks on the doors.

The church's rector, Father Oleksandr Levchuk, Dean of the First Brovary District, called the police and reported a raider takeover.

According to reports from the scene, the raiders were led by OCU cleric Oleksandr Liman, who had previously seized the UOC Assumption Church in the village of Pogreby and helped cut the locks on the old UOC Resurrection of Christ Church in the village of Zazimya.

"They said I should hand over the keys, and then everything would be fine, but we, along with the parishioners, refused to give in and remained in the church. We refused," the priest said.

The raiders planned to bring in people to change the church's locks, but the rector called the police. Law enforcement officials took a report of an attempted raider takeover of the church building.

"I hope that truth will prevail and we will be able to celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ in our church," the rector said.

He also recalled that the church was built through the efforts of parishioners over many years and is a "pearl of the soul" for the believers of the UOC.

On April 30, 2025, clergy of the OCU seized the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral of the UOC.

Around 5:00 a.m., young men in athletic uniforms arrived at the church, accompanied by people calling themselves "chaplains."
The raiders cut the locks and chained the gates. The door to the cathedral, the church, and all the rooms were broken down.

Parishioners were not allowed onto the premises.
The police were called and only allowed people to take their personal belongings.

Apparently, the seizure was carried out with the knowledge of the police. Law enforcement officers were present on the church grounds and did not allow the faithful into the church. The UOC's St. Peter and Paul community was left without a church.