The lawyer who defended UOC shrines in Chernihiv forcibly taken to TRC
Lawyer of the Chernihiv Eparchy of the UOC Oleksandr Shamko. Photo: news.church.ua
On October 5, 2023, military personnel forcibly took lawyer Oleksandr Shamko, who represents the Chernihiv Eparchy of the UOC (Ukrainian Orthodox Church), to a territorial military recruitment center (TRC). He had been documenting violations of the law by representatives of the Ministry of Culture during the sealing of the Holy Trinity and Transfiguration Cathedrals and the Yeletskyi Convent in Chernihiv. This information is reported by the Information and Enlightenment Department of the UOC.
The statement emphasizes that "such actions constitute a direct violation of Ukrainian legislation on the legal profession and an attempt to pressure and intimidate the believers of the Chernihiv Eparchy, who are being unlawfully deprived of world-famous Orthodox shrines."
As previously reported, on the morning of October 5, representatives of the National Architectural and Historical Reserve "Ancient Chernihiv," accompanied by law enforcement personnel, blocked the Holy Trinity and Transfiguration Cathedrals and the Yeletskyi Convent. Since February 2023, the reserve has been attempting to evict UOC communities from these shrines, and the Chernihiv Eparchy is challenging these claims in the Regional Economic Court.
Read also
ROCOR nun to teach at OCU academy
Vassa Larin will become a lecturer at the Department of Church-Practical Disciplines at an OCU educational institution.
Archaeologists "Discover" Jesus’ Tomb (Right Where It’s Always Been)
Excavations at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre reaffirm what Christians have claimed for centuries
ROCOR Synod Responds to so-called "Food Sensitive Eucharist."
The statement was made during a regular meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on May 9th, 2025.
Archbishop Atanasie Enthroned as First Romanian Orthodox Bishop in the UK
In a historic ceremony marked by royal and patriarchal blessings, Archbishop Atanasie assumes leadership of over 1.4 million Romanian Orthodox faithful in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
A Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church Serves in the Birthplace of Saints Cyril and Methodius
May 10, 2025—Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with Bishop Jovan of Pakrac and Slavonia from the Serbian Orthodox Church, at the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Thessaloniki.
Abp. Elpidophoros Approves "Food-sensitive" Eucharist
When Accessibility Crosses the Line: A Call for Faithful Integrity in Liturgical Practice