On July 2, 2022, a solemn event was planned in the village of Kononivka, Drabiv deanery, Cherkasy diocese – the Great consecration of the church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built by the rector, Priest Igor Basyuk, together with the religious community of the temple. However, the entrance to the new temple to the parishioners of the UOC and the clergy of the diocese, headed by Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kaniv Feodosiy, was personally blocked by the chairman of the Shramkivka united territorial community Anatoly Kulya with a small but noisy support group. This was reported by the press service of the Cherkasy diocese of the UOC.

When asked on what grounds he violates the Constitution of Ukraine (Art. 35), the Law on Freedom of Conscience (Art. 4) and the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Art. region, the head of the UTO replied that “during martial law, any mass events, including religious ones, are prohibited.” Out of indignation of the parishioners, the head of the UTC suggested that they go home. All this was happening against the background of the noise of a support group of “activists” shouting the standard propaganda about the “enemy Church”.

The police, led by Major Koshovyi, was called but showed complete inaction. The police calmly watched how the rights of believing citizens of Ukraine, believers of “the wrong faith” and belonging to “the wrong Church,” were violated. By this, the police, according to the practice already established in our society, calmly looking at the violation of the rights of believers, at the violation of the Constitution and the Law, themselves violated Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which requires representatives of law enforcement agencies to prevent violation of the law and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens of the country.

Of course, the faithful, without much effort, could themselves push the violators of the law away from the church and enter the church built on their own to perform divine services, but Metropolitan Feodosiy did not bless them to do so, saying that the House of God should be sanctified in peace and harmony, and not under someone else’s or quarrel and scolding, even if it does not depend on us.

On the fact of a crime committed with the participation of an official – the chairman of the UTC, as part of a group of persons who violated the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens of Ukraine and a number of articles of laws, including the Criminal Code, as well as on the fact of police inaction during the commission of a crime (Article 367 of the Criminal Code ), relevant applications will be submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office, the Police Department and the Security Service of Ukraine. What is the further fate of these statements, the press service of the Cherkasy diocese of the UOC will inform the society.