UOC-MP illegally appropriated the Tereshchenko Gothic Palace, - OGP

UOC-MP illegally appropriated the Tereshchenko Gothic Palace, - OGP

Three years ago, representatives of the UOC MP privatized the palace of the Ukrainian philanthropist Mykhaylo Tereshchenko in the village of Chervone, located in the Zhytomyr region. The prosecution fought for a long time to cancel the illegal privatization and finally won.

The monastery of the UOC MP lost ownership rights to a cultural object—a neo-Gothic palace of the Ukrainian entrepreneur and philanthropist Mykhaylo Tereshchenko, who owned it until the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Bershad District Prosecutor’s Office succeeded in restoring the previous owner—the Ministry of Education of Ukraine—in the property register. Details of the Tereshchenko palace case were posted on the portal of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The Prosecutor General’s Office’s message appeared online on November 20. It stated that prosecutors managed to return the palace of the philanthropist and entrepreneur Mykhaylo Tereshchenko to state ownership. Previously, the palace was illegally privatized by a monastery subordinated to the UOC MP. Now, the State Register of Property Rights lists a new legitimate owner—the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. The territory and all the palace buildings have been transferred to the balance of the Korostyshiv Professional Agrarian Lyceum, according to the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

"The Berdychiv District Prosecutor’s Office of Zhytomyr Region ensured the execution of a court decision on the return of a local architectural monument— the Tereshchenko estate house—from private to state ownership," the message said.

The prosecution’s press service reminded us that the palace is part of Ukraine’s 19th-century cultural heritage. The total area of the estate, including the palace, stables, and auxiliary buildings, is 4.4 thousand square meters. 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 happened without agreement with the then-owner—the Ministry of Education. It is also noted that the cultural landmark was and is in poor condition and is gradually deteriorating.

Tereshchenko Palace - details

Mykhaylo Tereshchenko—a Ukrainian sugar producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist—was born in Kyiv during the Russian Empire and died in exile in Monaco in 1956. The total value of the entrepreneur’s property on the eve of the Russian Revolution of 1917 was about 70 million rubles. In the Zhytomyr region, he acquired, among other things, a neo-Gothic style palace in the village of Chervone (now Bershad District). The palace was built by Polish nobleman Adolf Horocholskyi in 1880-85, and the Tereshchenko family purchased it in 1868. Mykhaylo Tereshchenko started a reconstruction: he organized an aviation workshop next door, where Ihor Sikorskyi, an aircraft designer, worked. In addition, purebred horses were bred on the estate.

Currently, the condition of the palace is monitored by a local enthusiast, historian Taras Konovalov. On his Facebook page, he shows how he conducts tours for interested visitors, raises funds for repairs, and organizes volunteer events to restore the palace to its former appearance.