Official In Zaporizhzhia Comments On Church Arson

18.11.2002, 11:14

On 15 November 2002, the Church of St. Nicholas in southeastern Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia was set on fire. On 18 November, Valentyn Kozuba, head of the Department for Nationalities, Migration and Religion of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration, commented on the incident.

According to Kozuba, initially St. Nicholas Church belonged to the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate. Later, however, the community changed over to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Today, the parish has introduced changes into its statutes and recognizes the eparchial administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the United States of America. “Interdenominational conflicts continue to take place in the region and throughout the country,” said Kozuba. “However, there is no serious opposition between any two particular denominations. Thus, until the investigation is completed, it is difficult to attribute this crime to representatives of any denomination.” Today, Zaporizhzhia is home to many religions. The biggest community is the parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate. In addition, there are many Protestant communities. Kyivan Orthodox, Catholic, Muslim and Jewish communities also function in Zaporizhzhia.