Moscow, December 9, 2016
Photo: http://uoj.org.ua/
Several structures of St. Elias Monastery in Odessa have been returned to the ownership of the Odessa diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
The Odessa city council decided on December 7 to return to the diocese the Church of St. Elias and several non-residential buildings, following a change in legislation. Previously, places of worship could be sold for the symbolic fee of one hryvnia, although the process was complicated by costly expert evaluations of the buildings. Now ownership can be transferred from the municipality free of charge.
Officials added that documentation had also been discovered which testified that the monastery buildings had always belonged to the monastery.