Ukraine SSR
Region of Lvov
On September 27, 1981, in the Uniate Catholic church of Dobria-nych, the patronal feast of the church was in progress. (Nowhere in Ukraine are Uniate Catholic churches licensed by the government.) KGB agents and militia surrounded the church, and waited for the arrival of the Uniate Catholic priest. When he did not arrive, they broke into the church and began to look for the priest there. The chekists' attention was drawn by the people who were more actively praying, especially the servers. Later they were all given fines.
In 1982, before Easter, the Uniate Catholic church of Morshyn was burglarized. Pupils of the vocational school, herded into church gathered up all the liturgical vessels, vestments and icons, piled them into automobiles and drove off with them.
In the spring of 1982, in the Village of Berezhany, a meeting of the residents took place. Participating in the meeting were about thirty KGB agents who threatened the people in various ways to stop gathering in the Uniate Catholic church to pray, or at least to convert to the Orthodox religion. "Otherwise, your church shall be closed,"
threatened the KGB agents. Upon leaving, the chekists sealed up all the liturgical vessels in the church.
Before Easter, 1982, KGB agents attacked the Uniate Catholic church of Brikūnai. Part of the liturgical appointments and icons they destroyed on the spot, the others they took away. The church was robbed at a time when most of the faithful were working. Women who tried to defend the church were badly beaten by the burglars — some of them had to enter the hospital.
