Police proved the accusation of the “Freedom” party of Zhytomyr towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be a provocative act
January 25, 2016. Act of vandalism was created by a resident of the city of Zhytomyr. It happened on the site of future temple construction, situated on Privokzalnaya place. As it was found out by the police officers, the man does not affiliate with any religion, as reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
According to the 34 year-old resident of Zhytomyr region, he was dismantling the wooden cross as he considered it to be dangerous for people. Yet human right activists found out that the local authorities had permitted him to establish a stand to preach the Gospel near the future construction of the holy shrine. However, he doesn’t affiliate himself with any religion. All these facts are subject to criminal investigation for hooliganism.
It is to be recalled that Victor Brokaryov, the “Freedom” party deputy of the local Duma, blamed priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) for pulling down the cross. In addition, he referred to “His Grace Izyaslav”, a representative of the Kiev Patriarchate.
In his turn Nikodim, the ruling bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the bishop of Zhytomyr, claimed that the Church had nothing to do with the act of vandalism and called the above accusation a provocative act. “Cross is a holy thing no matter who has set it up”, said the bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).
Photo documents from the Rupor of Zhytomyr
