According to information from "KyivVlada" shared on the official Facebook page of St. Nicholas Church, Minister Piotr Gliński of the Republic of Poland expressed significant disappointment regarding the unfulfilled promise by the previous Minister of Culture, Oleksandr Tkachenko, to return the St. Nicholas Church to the parish community.
In a letter to the parish's superior, Father Pavlo Vyshkovskyi OMI, Minister Piotr Gliński conveyed his sadness and disappointment at the news that the church had not yet been returned to the faithful. During his visit to Ukraine on June 1, 2022, where he had the opportunity to meet with Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, they discussed the legal aspects concerning the ownership of the St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv. At that time, he was assured that the matter would be successfully resolved, and the church would become the property of the parish.
"I received assurances that the issue would be resolved successfully, and the church would become the property of the parish," wrote the Minister of Culture of Poland.
Piotr Gliński also mentioned that he sent another inquiry to the Ukrainian side about the status of this matter, addressed to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"I am deeply convinced that the issue of transferring the St. Nicholas Church will be resolved positively. Especially now, in these difficult times for the Ukrainian state, a place where faith is strengthened becomes even more important and undoubtedly should serve its faithful," emphasized the Polish Minister of Culture.
It's worth noting that for nearly 30 years, the Catholic community has been striving to regain the church for the faithful and restore its full status as a parish sanctuary.
The return of the St. Nicholas Church to the community and the peaceful protest action on the day of the conclusion of the Memorandum between the parish and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy on November 6 of the current year has garnered significant attention not only in domestic media but also internationally.
On October 27, 2023, petition number 41/005649-23EP was created on the Cabinet of Ministers' website, demanding the return of the St. Nicholas Church to the community in Kyiv.
Two years ago, a devastating fire occurred in the church. Since then, the church has been in a dire state, yet the Ministry of Culture remains indifferent to this situation.