Court orders case opened against Cherkasy “metropolitan” of the OCU – media
Yaremenko is accused of inciting religious hatred for publicly calling for the seizure of a church and taking part in the violent takeover of a UOC compound in Cherkasy.
At the end of June 2025, a court in Cherkasy Oblast ordered the police to open a criminal case against Ivan Yaremenko, head of the Cherkasy administration of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). This was reported by the Cherkasy Blagovestnyk Telegram channel.
According to the eparchy, on the eve of Easter Yaremenko publicly announced his intention to take control of the UOC’s St. Andrew’s episcopal compound in Cherkasy. On 6 May 2025, the church was seized. Human rights advocates see his actions as violating Article 161 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code – deliberate acts aimed at inciting religious enmity and hatred.
Representatives of the UOC filed a complaint, but the police ignored it. Believers then turned to the court, which ruled that law enforcement must open a case.
On 29 May, Ascension Day, Yaremenko held a “liturgy” in the seized St. Andrew’s church. Attending the service were Cherkasy Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko, City Council Secretary Yuriy Trenkin, and a group of people, some of whom, according to the UOJ, were organized by official orders. Many in attendance had no crosses and did not wear the appropriate attire for an Orthodox service.
The UOC Cherkasy Eparchy emphasized that there had never been any community in that church that “joined the OCU.” Yaremenko and local authorities simply registered a new organization and transferred UOC property to it.
Particular outrage was sparked by the fact that Yaremenko served with the staff of Metropolitan Theodosiy of the UOC – stolen earlier during the seizure of St. Michael’s Cathedral in October 2024. At that time, episcopal panagias, ripidia, vestments, and the church cash box were also stolen.
“He doesn’t even try to hide the stolen items but brazenly displays them to people as if saying: ‘I stole it – what will you do about it?’ He has the authorities and the police behind him. Metropolitan Theodosiy has only Christ,” the eparchy said.
It is worth noting that earlier, the Sosnivka District Court of Cherkasy accused the Cherkasy OCU administration of attempting to pressure the judge handling another case – against a UOC priest. The court classified the OCU’s actions as interference with the administration of justice.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Zelensky had awarded an OCU cleric who oversaw the seizure of a cathedral in Chernivtsi.
