They are children, aren’t they? “Children’s playground” of radicals versus the UOC temple

“Lie did not help: Kharkiv residents prevented the construction of the UOC MP temple on the children’s playground” – the news under such a headline is being actively disseminated in pseudo-patriotic mass media and feeds the readers with another fake on the topic of “evil Orthodox”.

People learn from this fake the following”:

• “wicked Orthodox” grabbed the children’s playground;
• no permitting documents were given;
• unlawful construction was commenced on the premises;
• “kind nationalists from “Sokol” and “Right Sector” brought them to the surface;
• the construction was dismantled;
• children were returned their playground;
• trees were pulled out.

Happy end!

And that's how it really was.

In 2009, the Association of Chernobyl Veterans in Kharkov decided to create a parish of the Icon of the Chernobyl Savior and addressed the City Council and the Kharkov Eparchy of the UOC with this issue. In the same year, they consecrated the place for the construction of the temple and installed a wooden cross. In 2011, the City Council allocated 0.27 hectares of land to the church community with a designated purpose "for public construction." At the time of the land allotment, there was not a single tree growing on the site and there were no playgrounds.



After that, one long ordeal started for the believers – a “red tape” journey to obtain permits for construction. During this time, more than 1,000 signatures of local residents were collected, who wanted to see the Orthodox temple on this site. There was also a children's playground, which was very small just a little bit touched the corner of the site allocated for the church.

In response to the residents' concern over the fate of this playground, the parish council of the Church of the Icon of the Chernobyl Savior decided at its meeting that it not only will remain on the church premises, but upon completion of the construction will be expanded at the expense of the territory near the temple and maintained at the expense of the parish. And there was simply no conflict between the community and the local people. Nor is there a conflict at the moment.

In December 2016 Kharkov eparchy appointed priest Aleksey Sidey rector of the Church of the Icon of the Chernobyl Savior, who began to serve molebens before the cross, installed on the site of the future church. Molebens began to gather future parishioners, most of whom are Chernobyl victims, many with disabilities.

What is called "illegal construction" in the fake news is actually a wooden platform installed on four stones so that the Chernobyl invalids can stand on it during the prayer, rather than in the mud that would appear on the site at the smallest precipitation. No construction work, moreover, the capital one, was not done and is not done. According to the rector, Father Aleksey, the community was not going to start construction until all necessary documents were issued. Only a preliminary design of the future church was made.

But the enemy of the human race does not tolerate prayers and the construction of Orthodox churches. The nationalists in T-shirts from the "Right Sector" and "Sokol" came to the designated construction site. They arranged a scuffle, began to intimidate Chernobyl invalids and demand to stop prayers at the cross. It was difficult to frighten the believers, in spite of the fact that the unfortunate platform for the Chernobyl victims was nevertheless dismantled and taken to an unknown direction. And to create a beautiful picture on the spot where the platform stood, young trees were planted.

Protesting against these actions, the Association of Chernobyl Veterans of Kharkov appealed to the police with a statement about the spoilage and actual theft of the property belonging to the church community.

At the moment on the site of Kharkov City Council a war of petitions is being waged. The community of the church of the Icon of Chernobyl Savior and the Association of Chernobyl Veterans submitted a petition for the construction of the temple; "Right Sector" and similar organizations speak against it. So far the nationalists are ahead: they have slightly more than 600 signatures, while Orthodox believers – slightly less than 600. This is explained, firstly, by the fact that the petition "against" does not say that it will be a temple. It simply says "illegal construction." Secondly, the opponents hide behind the playground. Well, who offends children! And thirdly, nationalists are much more active and organized.

But the community of the church does not give up, believes it does God’s work, hopes for the mercy of God, and asks all who are not indifferent to support the petition for the temple construction.