Kiev, June 16, 2026
Photo: pravlife.info
Ukrainian authorities are demanding the demolition of an Orthodox church in Kiev, with officials threatening to carry out the destruction themselves if the congregation refuses to comply.
Fr. Alexander Prochenko, rector of the Transfiguration of the Savior Church of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kiev, said the community had been ordered to dismantle the church on their own. “We of course didn’t agree to this. The church stands, services are being held,” he told the First Cossack channel.
Fr. Alexander noted that the demolition threat came shortly after the parish posted a video calling on believers to pray for peace.
“This happened directly after that video where there was a call for prayer by agreement—reciting the Our Father 12 times in the evening—for peace,” he said.
The community has been granted a temporary reprieve, though Fr. Alexander cautioned that the situation could change at any moment. “We’re preparing for this. We continue to pray. And if anyone wishes, whenever possible, to offer a prayer for our church and for its preservation—we’ll be very grateful and appreciative,” he said.
The news comes as President Zelensky and Ukrainian officials have publicly lamented damage to the higher-profile Holy Dormition Cathedral at the Kiev Caves Lavra.
The Transfiguration church is not the first UOC property to face demolition in Ukraine. In April 2023, a UOC church in Lvov was demolished by backhoe. In May 2024, the Sts. Vladimir and Olga-Tithes Church—which stood on the site of the oldest church in Kiev—was torn down under cover of night.
The UOC community is asking believers to pray for the preservation of the Transfiguration of the Savior Church.
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