Court rules to seize UOC monastery buildings in Kremenets
The Western Appellate Commercial Court ordered the Holy Epiphany Convent to return an 18th-century complex of buildings to the state.
The Western Appellate Commercial Court has ruled to remove the historic buildings of the Holy Epiphany Convent of the Ternopil Eparchy of the UOC from its use and transfer them to the operational management of the Kremenets-Pochaiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve, the reserve reported on Facebook.
The ruling concerns a complex of architectural monuments: the Epiphany Cathedral and a monastic cell building dating to 1760, as well as a 20th-century bell tower. The total area of the premises is 3,218 square meters.
The court proceedings in case No. 921/619/23 lasted nearly three years and involved more than 40 hearings. The convent’s free-use agreement expired in September 2023, after which the reserve, with support from the Ministry of Culture, filed a lawsuit to evict the monastic community.
Officials thanked the Ministry of Culture’s legal department for coordinating the case and “defending state interests.”
Earlier, the UOJ reported that a Ministry of Culture representative died during an inspection of the monastery in Kremenets.
