Nadvirna mayor organizes hearings to liquidate “devils in black robes”

Nadvirna mayor called on townspeople to “voluntarily liquidate” the UOC community. Photo: YouTube channel NadvirnaTV

On October 13, 2023, in the Nadvirna city House of Culture in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, public hearings were organized by Mayor Zinovii Andriiovych regarding the "voluntary liquidation" of the UOC St. George the Victorious community and the transfer of its property to the city. The video of the hearings was published on the NadvirnaTV YouTube channel.

During the hearings, which had about three dozen attendees, Andriiovych stated that he had "devoted his entire life" to ensure that the "hostile occupation church" had no place for its cult on the territory of their community, no church, and no land. He mentioned that he consistently denied requests from the UOC church pastors who asked for land to build a church back in the 2010s. The mayor also discussed the authorities' calls to residents of the city not to allow their private homes to be used for "underground" worship.

"We did everything to prevent this hostile occupation church, these devils in black robes, who kill, destroy, and preach ruins, death, and so on, from growing. For 15 years, and possibly longer, we have not allowed them (UOC parishioners – Ed.) to establish themselves physically. And this is the merit of the entire community," Andriiovych stated.

He claimed that people from Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk, and other places attend the UOC community's services in Nadvirna. According to him, these people have the "blood of Ukrainian heroes" on their hands. The mayor said he knows the names of all community members, but, according to current legislation, "we do not have the right to disclose them."

"You know very well who provided premises for rent on Soborna Street, who were parishioners, and who attended there. But sooner or later, people must repent," Andriiovych declared. "I appeal to all residents of the community—if I receive information that their communist cells will gather or that they will meet on the old street, or on Khmelnytska, or elsewhere, we will deal with them."

City council employees claimed that work needed to be done with the UOC-believing teachers. Currently, their names are "confidential," but there will come a time when they "will have to be published on a list for everyone to see."

The participants of the meeting "unanimously" voted for the "termination of the activities of the St. George the Victorious community by means of voluntary liquidation."

Mayor Andriiovych called on everyone present "not to be indifferent" and to report to the police as soon as someone learns of worship gatherings by UOC believers. "The main thing is that you should not be indifferent," he concluded.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the Nadvirna authorities have threatened property confiscation for leasing premises to the UOC.

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