The Northern Commercial Court of Appeal in Kyiv has ruled that the management of the Chernihiv Diocese of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) must vacate the Yelets Monastery. The court decision, announced by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine on Friday, mandates that the clergy leave the monastery, fully satisfying the claim filed by the National Architectural and Historical Reserve "Ancient Chernihiv."

The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture was a third party in the case, supporting the Reserve's claim, while the Holy Assumption Yelets Convent of the Chernihiv Diocese was a third party supporting the Diocese's management.

This ruling follows a previous decision in March 2024, which required the UOC to vacate the Trinity and Yelets Monasteries, as well as the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernihiv. The Diocese reported that these buildings had been leased to the Church, with the lease expiring in 2021.

Yelets Monastery, one of the first monasteries in Kievan Rus, was established in the 11th century by Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich. The monastery was closed after the revolution in 1921. Historically a male monastery, it was reopened as a female convent in 1992. According to the publication "Union of Orthodox Journalists," the monastery currently houses over 40 sisters, most of whom are elderly.

The Ukrainian government has initiated the largest wave of persecution against the UOC in the country's recent history. Citing its ties to Russia, local authorities in various regions of Ukraine have banned the UOC's activities. Additionally, a draft law proposing a nationwide ban on the UOC has been submitted to the Ukrainian parliament. Sanctions have been imposed on some UOC clergy, and the Security Service of Ukraine has launched criminal cases against clergy members, conducting "counterintelligence activities" — searches of bishops and priests, as well as in churches and monasteries, in search of evidence of so-called "anti-Ukrainian activities."

Photo: © Mikhail Markovsky / Photo Bank Lori