Court Orders UOC to Vacate Chernivtsi Cathedral Complex
A Ukrainian commercial court ordered the UOC to vacate Chernivtsi’s cathedral complex amid an ongoing and disputed transfer to the OCU.
CHERNIVTSI, UKRAINE — As reported by UOJ-Ukraine, the Commercial Court of the Chernivtsi Region has ruled in favor of a state-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) community in a property dispute involving the Descent of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, ordering the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to vacate several buildings in the city center.
In its Jan. 21 decision, the court granted the claim of the OCU-affiliated “Religious Community of the Parish of the Descent of the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy,” requiring the UOC to vacate the cathedral, hotel, and boiler house at 85 Holovna Street and transfer them under a formal acceptance act. The court cited state property register extracts dated Sept. 23, 2025, confirming ownership by the OCU community.
The UOC challenged the ruling, alleging fraudulent re-registration of ownership prior to the plaintiff’s legal establishment and citing pending administrative and criminal proceedings. The court rejected those arguments, stating the registration remains valid. The UOC was also ordered to pay court fees. The ruling may be appealed.
Previously, the UOJ reported that a Moldova court ruling opesn the door to mass church-property transfers.
