Kyiv residents outraged over public hearings on new UGCC church
Kyiv residents said the public hearing resembled a construction project presentation rather than a genuine discussion.
Residents of the Obolon district of Kyiv walked out of public hearings on the construction of a UGCC church on Pivnichna Street, accusing the organizers of merely simulating dialogue.
On Friday, August 7, 2026, public discussions of the project were scheduled to take place at the premises of the Obolon District State Administration. The meeting was organized by Kyiv City Council deputy Yevhen Kuzmenko, who had previously publicly supported the construction of the Uniate church. However, a full-fledged dialogue between the religious community, local residents, and the authorities did not take place.
Residents of Pivnichna Street expressed sharp indignation over the complete absence of participant registration, the unclear format of the meeting, and the lack of any procedure for adopting final decisions. According to those present, the event resembled a construction project presentation rather than a public discussion where the positions of the parties should be recorded.
The outraged Kyiv residents noted that the organizers completely ignored the signatures of 6,000 residents opposed to the construction. As a result, some local residents demonstratively left the assembly hall, and social tension in the district only increased.
Obolon residents emphasize that the excavated construction pit is damaging emergency engineering networks and poses a threat to residential buildings, which have already developed cracks. In addition, the developer destroyed a green area where residents had been planting trees since 2017, in violation of state construction and sanitary standards. As a compromise, the Obolon community proposes building an underground shelter for children on the site, with a green square arranged on top instead of "30 meters of concrete."
The standoff over the plot on Pivnichna Street has been ongoing for several months. In 2024, an electronic petition to the Kyiv City Council demanding that construction in the square be halted due to its dangerous proximity to residential buildings, a kindergarten, and a polyclinic gathered the required 6,000 signatures. In addition, the public organization "Holos Oboloni" ("Obolon Voice") filed a lawsuit with the Kyiv District Administrative Court seeking to annul the decision to transfer the land to the UGCC and the permit for construction works.
The UOJ previously reported that construction of the UGCC church in Kyiv is resumed despite residents' protests, even though the developer and church representatives have promised to refrain from any construction work until a public discussion is held.
