Kremenchuk authorities force OCU to remove fence around Trinity Cathedral
The mayor of Kremenchuk ordered the fence removed and the church’s “strangely divided” land plot reduced.
Kremenchuk authorities have ordered the dismantling of the fence around the Trinity Cathedral seized from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kremenchuk Gazeta reports.
Representatives of Dumenko’s structure are attempting to portray the removal of the fence as their own initiative, although the work began only after pressure from the city authorities. OCU “archimandrite” Feodosiy claims that the community itself decided to open the public garden to local residents.
In reality, Mayor Maletskyi stated directly at a meeting of the executive committee that the church land had been “strangely divided” and instructed municipal services to put the site in order. He stressed that the church grounds would later be “reduced” to create a “neat public garden.”
The Trinity Cathedral in Kremenchuk was seized by OCU supporters on June 4, 2026, with police support. The raiders forced their way into the building, citing court rulings transferring the community to the jurisdiction of Epiphany Dumenko.
During the violent seizure, UOC Archimandrite Joseph was beaten. The attackers dragged the clergyman across the ground by his hair and threatened to kill him. A UOC parishioner was also injured during the clashes outside the cathedral and required assistance from an ambulance crew.
As the UOJ reported, the OCU bishop called on the authorities not to register the Kremenchuk cathedral back in the name of the UOC.
