Visitor access has been restricted in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra
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Starting today, August 11, the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” temporarily stopped the access of visitors to the territory of the Nizhny Lavra. Read UP.Kultura in Telegram. The reserve’s press service reported on Facebook. “From 7:00 a.m. on August 11, 2023, access to the territory of the Lower Lavra will be temporarily suspended for all visitors (with the exception of priests, monks and men’s monastery workers),” the message specified. The reserve explained that this decision was made due to systematic obstruction of access to the premises of the Lower Lavra. They also added that five churches on the territory of the Lavra will be open for services and visits: the Church of Sergius of Radonezh, the Church of Agapitus of Pechersky, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (“Afghan Church”), the Church of Anthony and Feodosius of Pechersky with the Refectory and the Dormition Cathedral. Visitor access has been restricted to the Lavra. Photo: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve The administration of the reserve reminded that on August 9, the Commercial Court of Kyiv recognized as legal the decision to terminate this contract with the UOC (MP) men’s monastery. Therefore, according to the court decision, the territory of Nizhny Lavra should be returned to the state for use. What is happening around the Lavra? On January 1, 2023, the contract of June 17, 2016, concluded between the National Reserve of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Men’s Monastery) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on providing the Dormition Cathedral and the Tabernacle Church for temporary free use of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, expired on January 1, 2023. In March 2023, the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” terminated the contract with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ukraine on the free use of the Lavra in Kyiv, so the monks were forced to leave the monastery and all the buildings. But representatives of the UOC MP refused to do so. On March 29, the Commercial Court of Kyiv received a lawsuit from the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. In it, they demanded that the rejection of the contract with the UOC MP be declared invalid. And the vicar of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavlo, said that he and the clergy of the UOC MP do not plan to leave the Lavra until the end of the trial. On April 1, the Shevchenkiv Court of Kyiv sent Pavel to 24-hour house arrest for two months on suspicion of inciting inter-religious enmity and justifying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. On April 12, the Commission for the acceptance and transfer of state property finally started its work on the territory of the Lavra. On June 5, she completed her work, and the reserve sent the men’s monastery of the UOC MP a demand for immediate release, termination of use, and return of all religious buildings and other state-owned property. The day before, it became known that the church did not sign the acts of acceptance and transfer of the state property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra within the set deadline. On June 13, the Commercial Court of Kyiv decided to reject the claim of the UOC MP to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve regarding the holding of divine services in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. On July 6, the commission, with the help of the police, was able to seal three buildings of the Lower Lavra – 69, 70 and 71. In building 69, law enforcement officers came across an unexpected find – portraits of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra. The commission planned to seal all the premises of the Lavra, except for those necessary for the monks to live. However, every time this was accompanied by boycotts and protests by believers of the UOC MP. Read also: Lavra after SBU searches: an empty temple, a silent reserve, pilgrim tourists and business as usual
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