Ministry of Culture commission not let in Lavra again

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy commission for accepting and transferring of state property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) was again not allowed to enter the monastery to conduct an inspection. Source: Interfax-Ukraine Details: It is reported that as of 09:40, representatives of the commission came to the 111th building of the Lavra, as they did on 30 March, but clergy and parishioners prevented them from entering the building.

After that, the commission decided to complete its work on Friday.

Prior to the commission's arrival, there were calls within the UOC-MP not to fall for provocations by "specially trained radicals". Mariana Tomin, director of the Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, said that the commission would appeal to the police and file a lawsuit to remove obstacles to the use of the property. "There is yesterday's government decision.

This means that there are no legal grounds for the monastery to be on the territory of the reserve. First, we will appeal to the police under Article 179 of the Criminal Code, which is 'Illegal detention, desecration or destruction of religious shrines'. As a next step, we will immediately file a lawsuit to remove the obstacles to the use of the property," she said.

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As she states, starting Monday, 3 April, the commission will take all the necessary legal actions and wait for the court's decision to further develop the situation. "This is our plan, having once again recorded the obstacles," Tomin said. At the same time, she emphasised that the authorities do not intend to use force. Background:

  • On the morning of 30 March 2023, it became known that parishioners belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) blocked entry to a Ministry of Culture commission that was supposed to be conducting an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve.
  • Pavlo, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), threatened journalists with violence and prevented them from doing their work.
  • The Union of Journalists of Ukraine reported mass violations of journalists' rights near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
  • On 30 March 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine invalidated the order on the unrestricted use of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by the UOC-MP and thus returned it to state control. 
  • The Kyiv Commercial Court dismissed the lawsuit brought by the UOC-MP against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.

    Pavlo, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Metropolitan of the UOC-MP, had declared that UOC-MP clergy would not leave the territory of the Lavra until the court had handed down a judgement.

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