Who we are

The Synodal Commission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for Monasteries is a standing collegial body of the executive authority of the Metropolitan of Kyiv and the Holy Synod of the UOC, responsible for the life of the Church's monastic communities.

History

The Commission was founded by a decision of the Holy Synod of the UOC on 27 December 2002 (Journal No. 28) under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The Synod appointed His Grace Pavel, then Bishop of Vyshhorod, vicar of the Kyiv Metropolia and superior of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, as its first Head. Metropolitan Volodymyr approved the Commission's Regulations on 26 August 2011. The current composition of the Commission was approved by the Synod of the UOC on 16 December 2025 (Journal No. 11) under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The site inok.info itself has operated since 2015 (initially on the domain monasteries.org.ua), and on the domain inok.info since 2018, per Directive No. 1 of 21 April 2018.

Our mission and authority

The Commission assists the Metropolitan of Kyiv in governing stauropegial monasteries and performs coordinating and supervisory functions with respect to the monastic communities of the eparchies: it prepares documents and opinions for the Synod and the ruling bishops, considers matters concerning the life of monasteries, and convenes congresses of UOC monastics. In its work it is guided by the Statute of the UOC, the decisions of Councils, the Holy Synod, and the Church Court of the UOC, by its own Regulations, and by the legislation of Ukraine.

The Head of the Commission and the Lavra

The Head of the Commission is His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl, who is also the superior of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The Commission's Secretary, Archdeacon Yevfimiy (Losyakov), is a monk of the same Lavra. Under the Commission's Regulations (Section III, Clause 7), the Commission's online representation is approved by its Head; the founder, owner and administrator of the website inok.info is therefore the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (male monastery) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — a non-profit religious organization, EDRPOU code 14351528.

Composition of the Commission

(approved by the Synod of the UOC on 16 December 2025, Journal No. 11)

1. Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl, superior of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra — Head of the Commission
2. Metropolitan Volodymyr of Pochaiv, superior of the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra
3. Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk, superior of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra
4. Archbishop Damian of Fastiv, superior of the Holy Vvedensky male monastery (Kyiv eparchy)
5. Archbishop Viktor of Artsyz, superior of the Holy Dormition male monastery (Odesa eparchy)
6. Archbishop Feodosiy of Ladan, superior of the Annunciation male monastery (Nizhyn eparchy)
7. Abbess Stefana (Bandura), superioress of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Zymne stauropegial female monastery (Kyiv eparchy)
8. Abbess Kalisfeniya (Shamailo), superioress of the Holy Protection female monastery (Kyiv eparchy)
9. Abbess Mykhaila (Zaiets), superioress of the Holy St. Nicholas Horodok female monastery (Rivne eparchy)
10. Abbess Serafyma (Shevchyk), superioress of the Archangel Michael female monastery (Odesa eparchy)
11. Abbess Arseniya (Stetsiuk), superioress of the Protection Krasnohirsk female monastery (Cherkasy eparchy)
12. Archdeacon Yevfimiy (Losyakov), monk of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra — Secretary of the Commission

What we do on this site

1. We maintain a single directory of UOC monasteries — over 300 communities from every eparchy.
2. We support an interactive map with directions to each monastery.
3. We collect live broadcasts of services from the monasteries' official channels.
4. We publish articles, lives of ascetics, and official documents of the Commission.

Who this is for

Pilgrims planning a trip to a monastery; elderly, unwell, and less mobile people, for whom the broadcast is the only way to be present at a service; Ukrainians abroad and soldiers separated from their home churches; researchers, journalists, and anyone interested in the history of monasticism in Ukraine.

Support

The site has no commercial purpose: it carries no advertising, paid services, or sale of goods. Maintaining the site, the map, and the broadcast service requires funds for hosting, development, and technical support. A donation can be made on the «Donate» page.