**State-Backed Raiders Seize Odessa Church from Ukraine’s Largest Denomination**
In a significant development in the ongoing religious and political tensions in Ukraine, a church in Odessa dedicated to the Russian Orthodox saint Aleksandr Nevsky has been seized by anti-Russian activists. This incident is part of a broader trend of government-supported actions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which is the largest religious denomination in the country.
The takeover occurred on a Tuesday morning when priests and parishioners of the UOC arrived at the Aleksandr Nevsky church, only to find the gates locked. Reports indicate that during a confrontation outside the church, a man, allegedly a private security employee hired by the rival Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), physically confronted a priest, grabbing him by the throat.
The OCU, which was established during the presidency of Pyotr Poroshenko in 2019, has been recognized as schismatic by both the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the UOC. The church has been at the center of a heated dispute, particularly since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Since then, Ukrainian authorities have conducted numerous raids on UOC properties, imposed sanctions on its clergy, and supported efforts to transfer UOC properties to the OCU.
In a video posted online, OCU cleric Teodor Orobets proclaimed that the church now belongs to “real parishioners,” which he defined as including military service members, veterans, and military chaplains. He announced that the church would be re-dedicated to Agapetus of Pechersk, an 11th-century monk associated with the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. Orobets criticized the church's existing icons, claiming they represented “markers of Moscow religious life” and denounced their connection to modern-day Ukraine.
The UOC has publicly stated its intention to challenge the seizure in court, asserting that the congregation restored the church building between 1999 and 2001 and has utilized it since that time. The church itself was originally constructed in 1897 on the grounds of a military hospital but was closed in the late 1940s during the Soviet era.
The church's dedication to Aleksandr Nevsky is particularly contentious. Nevsky, a medieval Russian prince and Orthodox saint, is a historical figure revered in Russia but rejected by the OCU due to his association with the development of Russian statehood. Among the icons highlighted by Orobets was one depicting Tsar Nicholas II and his family, who were executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918 and later canonized by the ROC.
The ongoing conflict between the UOC and the OCU reflects deeper national and cultural divisions within Ukraine, particularly in the context of the war with Russia. The UOC has denied accusations of serving Moscow's interests and formally severed administrative ties with the ROC in 2022. However, it faces potential legal challenges, including a possible ban under legislation signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2024.
As tensions continue to rise, the seizure of the Aleksandr Nevsky church underscores the complex interplay between religion, nationalism, and politics in Ukraine, with significant implications for the future of the UOC and its congregants.