Kiev, February 2, 2018
Photo: uoj.org.ua The brothers of the Kiev Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery of the “Tithes” are expecting a possible forceful seizure of the Vladimiro-Olginsky Church tomorrow, which was built near the foundation of the Tithes Church, according to the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“Dear brothers and sisters! On February 3, 2018, at 12:00 PM, under the guise of a peaceful architects’ rally, schismatics and pagans, with the support of radical groups, and instigated by individual parliament deputies, are preparing the violent seizure of the Tithes Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos,” reads a message on the monastery website.
“In this regard, the brothers of the Tithes Monastery call all to prayer to defend the mother church of Kievan Rus’—the Tithes Church,” the monks have stated. A moleben will be held at the monastery tomorrow at 11:00 AM. The ancient Tithes Church was the first stone church of Kievan Rus’.
The enemies of the monastery have stated that they will gather thousands outside the monastery on Saturday, supposedly to peacefully protest because the monastery stands on what was once museum territory.
“We must unite as one and show that God is with us and that together we are strong,” the message on the monastery website concludes.
There was an attempted arson against the Tithes Monastery on the morning of January 25, and later the same day, radical nationalists of the C-14 terrorist organization committed vandalism against the monastery. The two men who set fire at the monastery were sentenced to either two months’ imprisonment or a fine of 2.2 million hryvnia ($77,000). The judge who sentenced them has since received threats against herself and her family.
Since the attacks, a local pagan group has also started a petition calling for the destruction of the Tithes Monastery. The monastery is located just a few meters from where an ancient pagan temple once stood.
Radicals have been attacking the monastery because it belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church rather than the nationalistic Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
