Kyiv Cave Monastery surrounded by police: what’s happening (photos, video)
According to eyewitnesses, access to the territory is allowed only for clergy, monks and monastery staff.
This morning, a large number of police officers were observed at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The entrance to the National Reserve is temporarily closed. This was reported on August 11 by eyewitnesses in social media.
According to reports, only priests, monks and employees of the men’s monastery are currently allowed to enter the territory.
“In the morning, a lot of police officers can be seen near the Lavra: access to the reserve is closed. Entrance to the territory of the lower Lavra is temporarily restricted. Only a few churches are available for prayers. This decision was made in connection with the failure of the UOC parishioners to comply with the court decision obliging them to return the buildings to state control,” the statement reads.
Published photos and videos show how law enforcement officers closed all entrances to the reserve and are present in large numbers inside the Lavra.
On August 10, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy reported that the Kyiv Economic Court ruled that the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (monastery) of the UOC should return the property to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. This applies to 79 objects on the territory of the Lower Lavra.
On July 1, the UOC said that it would not leave the Lavra because it considers the requirements of the National Reserve to be inconsistent with Ukrainian law.
On March 30, it became known that the lease agreement of the UOC of the Kyiv Cave Monastery was terminated unilaterally. Because of this, the monks were warned of eviction. The UOC-MP filed a lawsuit.
