.Home of the priest who moved to the UOC-KP from Moscow Patriarchate burned down at night

On the night of December 28 to 29, 2014 in Podyno village, Mensk district of Chernihiv region,the house of hieromonkNestor (Nazarov), rector of the newly organized local communityof the Kyiv Patriarchate, was set on fire.

According to the press service of the Chernighiv diocese, Father Nestor has long been a local monk of the Icon of the Mother of God of DomnytsiaMonastery, Moscow Patriarchate. Unable to tolerate anylonger the pro-Russian position of his church, in the autumn, he turned to Chernihiv diocese of the Kyiv Patriarchate with the request to accept him. Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) of Chernihiv and Nizhyn upheld the application of monk Sozont (Nazarov), performed his monastic tonsure, giving him the name of Nestor and ordained him a deacon and presbyter. After an internship Father Nestor was appointed rector of the newly established community of Kyiv Patriarchate inPodyno village, where he lives.

According to the report, after father Nestor joined Kyiv Patriarchate he repeatedly received implicit threats from fanatical supporters of the Moscow Patriarchate“since you seceded into the split, it is better for you to go away from here.”

Around one o'clock on December 29, Fr. Nestor woke up to the sound from the roof - later he suggested that they occurred through heating of metal from fire. Having run out to the yard with a flashlight he saw the smoke coming from the roof. It was possible to partially rescue the property, but because of the fire the house burnt down completely.

It is known from Fr Nestor’s explanations that he heated the stove in the morning and the fire because of heated stove can be excluded. The most likely cause is intentional arson.

In connection with these events, Archbishop Yevstratiy (Zorya) of Chernighiv and Nizhyn turned to the police with the requirement to conduct a comprehensive investigation and identify the cause of the fire. In case the assumption of deliberate arson is confirmed, the Bishop demands to find perpetrators and bring them to justice.

In March 2013 the Holy Dormition Monastery in Bobrovytsia of Chernihiv region suffered from arson. Attackers broke the door to the altar, burned the church appliances, thus causing the altar, iconostasis and ceiling of the temple to burn. The arsonist was never found.