Myltsi, Volyn Province, Ukraine, March 11, 2026
Photo: First Cossack
The brotherhood and parishioners of the St. Nicholas Monastery in Myltsi, Volyn Province, Ukraine, have appealed to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, asking them to draw attention to the threat to their religious rights.
The appeal, published on the Telegram channel Kozak TV, comes as the monastery faces potential eviction following the expiration of its lease agreement with the state. According to the abbot, Archimandrite Leonty, the community rebuilt monastic life at the site after the fall of the Soviet Union, but the state never transferred ownership to the Church and is now demanding the monks vacate the property, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
"And now, when the lease has ended and the monastery has already been rebuilt, they tell us to leave," Archimandrite Leonty said.
The abbot also cited pressure from Member of Parliament Igor Huz, who previously stated his intention to force the monks out. Fr. Leonty noted that Huz had recently been involved in the seizure of a cathedral in Volodymyr, which he said was carried out with a group of around 250 armed men, and expressed concern that a similar action could be taken against the monastery.
A few days after Huz made those statements, a commission arrived at the monastery on February 26 to conduct what its head, Vasyl Haiduk, described as a survey of the monastery’s architectural structures. Commission members went through all of the premises taking measurements throughout.
Parishioners asked the commission members to convey to regional leadership the need to renew the lease, saying that the fate of the brotherhood and thousands of believers who have worshipped at the monastery for generations depends on that decision. They noted that the monastery had been restored from ruins through the efforts and resources of the faithful.
Photo: First Cossack
The monastery, which has a history of around 700 years, suffered significant damage during the Soviet period. Archimandrite Alexander, a priest of the community, said the cathedral of St. Nicholas had been converted into a dining hall for a boarding school, with the church buried under nearly half a meter of rubble and construction debris that the monks had to clear themselves. Extensive restoration work was required to return the complex to its original form.
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