The UOC-MP has unlawfully claimed the Gothic palace of Tereshchenko, according to a new announcement from the prosecutor's office.

Three years ago, representatives of the UOC MP privatized the palace of Ukrainian philanthropist Mykhailo Tereshchenko in the village of Chervon, located in the Zhytomyr region. The prosecution fought for several years to annul this unlawful privatization and has finally achieved a definitive victory.

https://focus.ua/ukraine/679475-dvorec-tereshchenko-prokuratura-zavershila-delo-protiv-upc-mp-detali2024-11-20 07:53:30

The UOC-MP monastery has lost ownership rights to a cultural monument — the neo-Gothic palace of Ukrainian entrepreneur and philanthropist Mykhailo Tereshchenko, who owned it before the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Bershad district prosecutor's office succeeded in restoring the previous owner in the property register — the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. Details regarding the Tereshchenko palace case were written about on the Office of the Prosecutor General's portal.

The message from the Prosecutor General's Office appeared online on November 20. It was stated that prosecutors managed to achieve the return of the palace of philanthropist and entrepreneur Mykhailo Tereshchenko to state ownership. Previously, the palace had been illegally privatized by the monastery subordinate to the UOC-MP. Now, the State Register of Property Rights indicates the new legitimate owner — the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. The territory and all buildings of the palace have been transferred to the balance of the Korostyshiv Professional Agrarian Lyceum, as reported by the OGP press service.

"The Berdychiv District Prosecutor's Office of the Zhytomyr region ensured the actual enforcement of the court's decision to return the architectural monument of local significance — the Tereshchenko estate — from private to state ownership," the message states.

The press service of the prosecutor's office reminded that the palace is part of Ukraine's cultural heritage from the 19th century. The total area of the estate, including the palace, stables, and auxiliary buildings, is 4,400 sq. m. The estimated value is 148 million UAH. In a short video published by the institution in 2023, it is reported that the UOC-MP illegally seized state property in 2021. This occurred without coordination with the then-owner — the Ministry of Education. It is also noted that the cultural monument was and remains in poor condition and is gradually deteriorating.

Details of the Tereshchenko Palace

Mykhailo Tereshchenko was a Ukrainian sugar producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist born in Kyiv during the Russian Empire, who died in exile in Monaco in 1956. The total value of the entrepreneur's property just before the Russian Revolution of 1917 was about 70 million rubles. In Zhytomyr Oblast, he acquired, among other things, a neo-Gothic palace in the village of Chervon (now Bershad district). The palace was built between 1880-85 by Polish nobleman Adolf Gorokholsky, and the Tereshchenko family purchased it in 1868. Mykhailo Tereshchenko began reconstruction: nearby, he established an aviation workshop where aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky worked. Additionally, thoroughbred horses were bred on the estate's grounds.

Currently, local enthusiast and historian Taras Konovalov is monitoring the condition of the palace. On his Facebook page, he showcases how he conducts tours for interested parties, collects funds for renovations, and organizes community clean-up events to restore the palace to its former glory.

As a reminder, in March 2023, another historical monument was returned to state ownership: the UOC-MP lost the "Lavra," which returned under the stewardship of the Ministry of Culture.