The parishioners of the persecuted UOC community in Zadubrivka have been guarding the church from OCU raiders for the third year.

On February 22, 2021, at the Congress of the persecuted communities of the UOC “Faithful”, which took place in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, parishioners of vlg. Zadubrivka of the Zastavna district, Chernivtsi region, spoke about the attempts to seize their St. Michael’s Church by OCU raiders and how this affected the life of the community and the village.

The head of the community, Roman Khashchuk, said that the parishioners of the temple have been guarding the temple for the third year, and staying in it, they read сathismas and akathists. According to him, the most cynical raider attack took place on May 4, 2020, on the day of the sudden death of the rector, Father Leonid. “And while we were all in shock, and because of the quarantine restrictions we did not have the normal opportunity to honour the memory of Fr Leonida, the other side was preparing to seize the temple,” said the Roman Khashchuk. “It was prepared so cynically that they used: power сut in the village, disconnection of the Internet, road blocking with the help of Gergeliuk, their “rector” of the OCU. They blocked the roads with fallen trees so that no ambulance, no firemen, no police, no help from other believers who support us could drive up.

The attack itself, which was carried out by a group of 40 trained hired men with clubs and knuckle dusters, was opposed by several UOC believers on guard in the church and six more who managed to approach. “From their side (the raiders of the OCU – Ed.), there were even calls: “Don’t beat them, kill them,” said Roman Khashchuk.

According to the priest Vitaly Durov, the rector of the church, the attack was repulsed and as a result of it and other attacks by the OCU raiders, the UOC community in Zadubrivka strengthened, became even larger and stronger, even those who had rarely or never appeared at divine services began to go to church regularly. “And despite any threats, discrimination that occurs in the village, because we are constantly called “Muscovites”, other insults, it is impossible to just walk or drive past them without being stung or offended, we continue to live,” summed up the rector of St. Michael’s Church.