Varash. Local Authorities and the OCU Attempted to Seize the UOC Cathedral

Transfiguration Cathedral of the UOC

Address: Rivne Oblast, Varash, Soborna Street

The Transfiguration Cathedral of the UOC in Varash became the target of OCU raiders and local authorities in 2023. The city mayor personally organized an illegal gathering of the territorial community, at which the process of falsifying documents for the church began.

Later, a group of OCU raiders attempted to enter the cathedral grounds under the guise of a "audit commission."

On April 5, 2023, a "people's assembly" gathered at Independence Square in the city of Varash "transferred" the UOC church to the OCU.

City mayor Oleksandr Menzul called the assembly on the square a "meeting of the religious community of the parish of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Sarny Diocese of the UOC regarding the transition to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine."

Menzul stated that a total of 1,015 people gathered, 1,012 of whom "voted" for the "change of subordination in canonical and organizational matters of the religious community by introducing corresponding amendments to the charter." Three people "abstained."

The participants of the "assembly" also resolved to "approve the charter of the religious community in a new edition, terminate the authority of the parish council of the religious community, carry out registration of the charter of the religious community in the new edition, and complete the state registration of changes to the information about the religious community contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs, and Public Associations."

(Source: Menzul's Telegram channel)

On August 22, 2023, a court ruled lawful the assembly at which the community allegedly voted for the "transfer" of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Sarny Diocese of the UOC in Varash to the OCU.

This is evidenced by a ruling published on the Unified State Register of Court Decisions (USRCD) website.

In his application, one of the founders of the community of the UOC Transfiguration Cathedral demanded that the decisions of OCU believers regarding the transfer of the church and the creation of a new charter of the religious community be declared unlawful and annulled.

According to the plaintiff, all decisions at the OCU assembly were adopted unlawfully, as the UOC community had already held its own assembly, at which 1,528 of its members voted to remain in the UOC.

"The decision was made not by the parish assembly, but by a gathering of the territorial community — persons representing a group of deputies together with other individuals who are not participants (founders, members) of the religious community," he added.

(Source: Unified State Register of Court Decisions)

On May 13, 2025, Varash City Council deputy of Rivne Oblast Oleksandr Derevianchuk announced on Facebook a visit by an OCU "audit commission" to the UOC Transfiguration Cathedral.

According to Derevianchuk, the "auditors" intend to arrive on May 15, 2025.

Furthermore, the deputy publicly used hate rhetoric against UOC believers and clergy.

He claimed that "for more than 2 years, former rectors from the Moscow church have been illegally occupying and using the building complex and property of the OCU religious community."

"In 2 years, not a single court has issued any favorable ruling on the appealed matters on the part of the Moscow church. The Moscow priests are winding up their brainwashed believers and want a bloody confrontation for good footage in russia," the deputy asserted.

(Source: Derevianchuk's Facebook page)

On May 15, 2025, several OCU activists and clergy calling themselves an "audit commission" came to the UOC Transfiguration Cathedral to conduct an inventory of property.

Dozens of parishioners were at the entrance to the cathedral. There were very few OCU representatives. Police were present but did not intervene.

A local deputy was present at the scene. The OCU representatives left the cathedral grounds but remained waiting in a car.

UOC believers defended their shrine from OCU encroachment.

Varash City Council deputy Oleksandr Derevianchuk is taking an active part in the raiding.

"They transferred us to another denomination without us. We have entered into legal proceedings," said the priest who was present at the scene.

He emphasized that 1,528 cathedral parishioners voted to remain within the UOC.

"But, despite everything, the state administration re-registered the cathedral. For 2 years and one month now they have considered that we are praying illegally. The Commercial Court ruled against us. But the Court of Appeal overturned the Commercial Court's decision, and we are in the process of court proceedings."

(Source: SPZH)

On May 20, 2025, another attempt to seize the UOC Transfiguration Cathedral in Varash, Rivne Oblast, was thwarted.

A report by the YouTube channel "NIKA" states that in the morning the religious community gathered near the church for a prayer vigil.

During the reading of the Akathist to the Resurrection of Christ, a small group of people — consisting of OCU cleric Yosyp, deputy Oleksandr Derevianchuk, and the new "owner" of the cathedral, Ms. Khvishchuk — began pushing their way toward the church. But after shoving, they were unable to force their way to the church doors and retreated. According to parishioners, the OCU "audit commission" promised to return with angle grinders.

After the akathist, the abbot of the Protection Monastery in the village of Tseptsevychi, Archimandrite Antoniy, emphasized that believers came to their church not to fight or riot, but to pray and defend their shrine, which they built with their own funds.

"And the law is on our side. And whatever they may say today, documents can be falsified for any apartment or any company through a raider seizure, to seize it. But will that be right? Will that be according to conscience?" the archimandrite addressed the faithful.

"If any person, an ordinary citizen, were told today: 'We will come and take your apartment,' a criminal case would be opened immediately, right? Right. And today, any company that people have come to love and want to take away — but there is the law," he emphasized. The archimandrite called on OCU members to build for themselves rather than seize what belongs to others.

"Imagine if a person has settled in, already had dinner, is getting ready to go to sleep, and then people burst in and say: 'This is our apartment, this is our home, here are the documents, please.' What would be the reaction of the people living in that apartment? And the reaction would be the same as ours today. This reaction — we are responding adequately. Not everyone's nerves hold out, but I ask you earnestly: preserve love. Love covers a multitude of sins," said Archimandrite Antoniy.

(Source: SPZH)