Nuns of St Harlampius convent ask Petro Poroshenko too delimit their monastery from the prison
The nuns are collecting signatures in support of demarcation between St Harlampius convent of Hamaliyivka village and Shostka correctional facility No. 66 for men and are going to appeal to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
This initiative was blessed by Bishop Konotop and Glukhiv His Eminence Roman (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) and implemented by Dean of Shostka district Father Petro, Hegumeness Sofia, faithful and local enthusiasts.
As RISU has reported, St Harlampius convent, which in 1713-1924 operated near the village of Hamaliyivka in Shostka district, could have become today an important center of pilgrimage, if it had not become part of the prison.
The first thing that catches the eyes of people who come to Shostka from Sumy – the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary beyond a very high fence with barbed wire. Currently, it is a prison church where a priest comes to officiate on a regular basis. Next to the Cathedral there are former monastery cells, and now there are bathhouses for prisoners, workshops and administrative offices.
The monastery complex is an architectural monument of national importance and historic value - here is the family tomb of the Skoropadskys, including one of the last Hetmans Ivan Skoropadsky and his wife Anastasia.
The formal conditions for the transfer of the cathedral and monastery premises is available – already Viktor Yushchenko during his president tenure signed a decree №4 / 2010 “On some issues of preservation of the ensemble of landmarks of Hamaliyivka St Harlampius Monastery”, which mentions that the men’s correctional facility should vacate the premises and buildings of the former monastery. However, this decree required considerable funds to transfer the colony to other rooms. The colony leaders agree to return the buildings to the Church, but a presidential decree is not enough. It was reported by RISU journalist Iryna Stegniy.
