Ivankiv. The Seizure of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Church of the UOC, Kyiv Region, With the Participation of Authorities and Armed Units

Address: Ivankiv, Kyiv Oblast, 07201

March 23, 2019. The online publication “Vesti” reported an attempt by activists of the “new church” to seize the canonical church of the UOC in the village of Ivankov.

In the morning, supporters of the OCU, recently registered by the Ministry of Justice, attacked parishioners of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“About 40 aggressive activists of a new religious organization surrounded the territory of the temple and shouted offensive slogans at the believers and the rector of the parish, Archimandrite Longin. Three police crews arrived at the scene."

Parishioners noted that the majority of supporters of the “new church” are activists of the former “Kyiv Patriarchate” from neighboring villages.

On May 21, 2022, OCU raiders began the seizure of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Church in the township of Ivankiv, Kyiv Region.

This was reported on Facebook by Archbishop Jonah (Cherepanov), Archbishop of Obukhiv, vicar of the Kyiv Diocese of the UOC, and abbot of the Holy Trinity Ioninsky Monastery in Kyiv.

"Right now in Ivankov, OCU terrorists are seizing a temple.
Please pray for Archbishop Cassian and Archimandrite Longinus and his flock"

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The parish community was pushed aside by police and armed men in military uniform.

The invaders chant:

"Glory to the nation, death to the Muscovites! Down with the Moscow priest!"

At this time, the doors of the church are being sawed open, guarded by a chain of armed police and, probably, territorial defense soldiers:

Video source: telegram channel Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Cutting off the locks with a grinder, "overjoyed atheists without a cross around their necks" broke into the church, desecrating the altar and throne with their hands.

the Zvirynets Monastery’s Facebook page:

"Two days ago, the state registrar absolutely illegally signed the documents on the transfer of the UOC to the OCU. Without a meeting of the existing community, without asking the people. They were kicked out. Kicked out cynically. Yesterday a crowd accompanied by the police, the military and a "priest" with a cross around his neck broke down the gate, shouting slogans. He is not local. He has fled from the south of the country. There's a war there, it's terrifying. But it is quiet here and one can take someone else's temple," says the Zvirynets Monastery.

It is noted that the "priest", presenting his totally illegal documents, accompanied by the police, started cutting off the locks.

"Archbishop Kassian of Ivankiv came to support his flock prayerfully and stand with them to the end. He appealed to the 'God-fighting brother', asking him to stop. But in response he received insults, humiliation and grabbing at his vestments. Representatives of the law enforcement agencies and the military began to use physical force against the women, who tried to stop the lawlessness," the statement said.

Further, having cut off the locks with a grinder, "overjoyed atheists without a cross around their necks," shouting slogans and words towards the UOC believers and the priest, stormed into the church, desecrating the altar and the throne with their hands.

The Zvirynets Monastery noted that human rights activists contributed to this lawlessness.

"One of the representatives of the police pretended that he had arranged to seal the church with the head of the Ivankiv OTG (united territorial community) T. M. Sviridenko, to which she promised the police to do everything, but having closed the door behind them, freely decided that the church would not be sealed, and representatives of the OCU would serve there. Both the church community and Archimandrite Longin were thrown out into the street. Without the right to take their vestments," the monastery noted.

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Believers of the UOC now pray on the street, in front of their own temple:

August 25, 2025. After the seizure of the temple, the OCU is trying to prohibit the UOC community from serving even in the hut, threatening to burn the believers along with the house

Orthodox parishioners found the opportunity to gather for prayer in an adapted residential building. Over time, this house of prayer became a spiritual center for dozens of UOC believers from surrounding villages,
who also suffered from the seizure of their churches by OCU supporters.

Then a group of activists supporting the OCU cleric Ivan Slavich began to put pressure on the Orthodox. Believers are intimidated by closing the house of worship and even setting fire to the house along with the parishioners.

OCU cleric Slavich personally contacted the police with a statement,
where he accused the UOC community of “illegal meetings.” In the document, he also indicated that the presence of a large number of UOC parishioners “causes concern” among his supporters. This appeal looks like a denunciation from the time of the Bolshevik persecution against the Church.

An additional escalation of the situation occurred on August 10, 2025,
when one of the OCU activists launched a drone over the territory of the house of worship during a service. Eyewitnesses claim that the drone then landed on the site of the temple captured by the OCU.
Believers of the UOC filed an official complaint with the police about the illegal use of a drone during martial law and about surveillance of people on private property.

DOZOR on First Cossack