On May 22, 2022, a crowd of aggressive people, threatening believers and a priest of the UOC, arbitrarily changed the locks in the church in honor of St. Archdeacon Stephen in the village of Chernyatyn, Zhmerinka deanery, Vinnitsa diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This was reported by the Information and Educational Department of the UOC.

The raid began during the Sunday service, which was performed by the community of the UOC. During the Liturgy, the OCU worshipers at first only talked to each other and on the phone, interfering with prayer. When Communion was being served, they began to shout: “Why are you dragging out the service, we need to talk!”

In the end, these people began to show aggression, waving their fists, shouting slogans and threats. In a video posted by the Vinnytsia diocese, the OCU supporters can be heard shouting frank abuse, raising their fists above their heads. One woman of the believers was hit.

The rector of the temple and the believers of the UOC were threatened, in particular, that “if they do not give the keys to the temple by the evening, they will be buried.” Then the supporters of the “OCU” held a vote for the transition to a new structure and arbitrarily closed the temple with their locks. None of the real parishioners of the temple did not participate in the vote.

Despite preliminary assurances from local authorities that there would be no provocations, the seizure was led by the chairman of the Severinovka united community, Vasily Malyarchuk. Police officers stand aside, capturing what is happening on camera.

The rector of the parish, Archpriest Alexander Lapko, filed a complaint with the police on the fact of threats to him and his wife, and also wrote a letter to the chairman of the Vinnitsa regional military administration and appealed to the military prosecutor’s office.

The diocese said that the people who “transferred” the temple to the “OCU” did not show any interest in church life during the difficult process of building the church, which the UOC community led during 2013-2019. Meanwhile, some of the members of the new structure have already announced the “unanimous transition” of the community to the “OCU”.

! The video contains profanity.