The court obliged the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC MP) to return to the state property the object of cultural heritage of national importance — the 12th-century Dormition (Heorhiivsky) Cathedral.
This was reported by the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office.
In 2003, the executive committee of the Kaniv City Council allowed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to issue ownership rights to the cathedral. Then UOC MP registered the right of collective ownership of it.
Prosecutors proved in court that the transfer of the object was illegal, as Ukrainian legislation establishes a direct ban on the alienation of state-owned cultural heritage monuments.
The court declared illegal the decisions of the executive committee of the Kaniv City Council and the certificate of ownership of the building under UOC MP. This canceled both the decision and the state registration of the property right to the object of cultural heritage of national importance.
The Assumption Cathedral in Kanev is a temple of Rus-Ukraine times, it was founded in 1144 by Prince Vsevolod Olhovich. The estimated cost of the cathedral building exceeds 8.5 million hryvnias.