UOC defends in court right to lease premises of Rivne Eparchy administration
The court denied the city authorities of Rivne in their lawsuit to terminate the lease agreement for the building of the UOC Eparchy.
The building on Kazimir Liubomyrsky Street, where the administration of the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC and the office of Metropolitan Pimen of Rivne and Ostroh are located, will continue to be used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under lease terms. This is reported by the local resource rivnepost.
Previously, the house belonged to businessman Valery Korotkov, later it was transferred to the city and leased to the UOC eparchy.
According to the secretary of the Rivne Eparchy, Viktor Zemliany, the attempt to terminate the contract was purely politically motivated.
"Currently, our Church is being persecuted at all levels. But according to the law, during martial law, the contract can only be terminated by mutual agreement. Since the city filed a lawsuit, we were forced to meet them in court, but the law was on our side," he noted.
The lease agreement is valid until the end of martial law. Viktor Zemliany added that the eparchy hopes to restore constructive relations with the city, as there are plans to build a cathedral in the future, which will require the allocation of a land plot by the City Council.
'I am aware that the City Council has not abandoned its desire to terminate the lease agreement. It is unfortunate that such persecutions are happening. But on our part, as a church, we pray for all people. If it is God’s will, our good relationship with the City Council will be restored,” said Father Viktor.
However, according to media reports, not only the city authorities are interested in the UOC's property, the Rivne Regional State Administration instructed district authorities to collect information about the objects used by believers in the region.
Earlier, at the UOJ's disposal was an order by the Deputy Head of the Rivne Regional State Administration, Ihor Pavlenko, according to which the heads of territorial communities were required to compile a list of “land plots and the number of buildings/structures/premises, both residential and non-residential, owned or used by religious organizations of the UOC” by September 25, 2025.
