Kiev, March 23, 2023
Photo: news.church.ua
The actual caves of the Kiev Caves Lavra were unexpectedly reopened yesterday, just a day after they were closed by the state-owned Kiev Caves Lavra National Reserve.
The state declared that the caves and three other churches were closed so a special commission how the Church took care of the “cultural values” and “museum exhibits,” as the state calls the holy relics of hundreds of saints in the caves.
And while the Ministry of Culture announced on Tuesday that its Commission would be working in the Lavra until May 15, it suddenly reopened the caves yesterday, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
According to some sources, the caves were reopened by personal order of President Zelensky after the Holy Synod of the UOC tried to see him on Monday.
The Telegram channel About the Church and People writes:
According to the information available to us, the visit to the Office of the President by members of the Holy Synod of the UOC had its effect.
Yesterday, the President’s Office couldn’t decide for a long time how best to react to the stand of the Metropolitans of the UOC.
The fact is that Zelensky wanted to go out to them, but he was dissuaded. The explanation is banal—“the patriotic public won’t understand.” By public, they meant a dozen radicals who would have expressed dissatisfaction with this meeting.
However, Zelensky couldn’t completely ignore the Metropolitans either.
Firstly, because he relates to His Beatitude very well personally. Secondly, because he understands that the people are behind the Metropolitans.
Therefore, Zelensky’s entourage decided to turn on the air raid siren. He agreed, because he understood that it was impossible not to go out at all. But if he had gone out, he wouldn’t have known how to behave with the Metropolitans.
But this morning he summoned Tkachenko, the Minister of Culture, and demanded not to touch the monks of the UOC and to immediately open the caves and churches of the Lavra.
Tkachenko tried to object that “we’re working in accordance with our instructions,” but the response was something that can’t be conveyed in writing.
Zelensky told him plainly that mass protests are the last thing they need now and ordered him to calm down.
Additionally, yesterday the State Secretariat of the Holy See, or rather, someone from the system of Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra actively communicated with the Office of the President. Do you understand what the Vatican is in international politics? Zelensky also understands this, and they’re now thinking about how to save face in front of Europe.
In any case, Tkachenko’s rhetoric has already changed (he cautiously stated today that not all denominations will be able to pay for the Lavra), and today they opened the caves, which shouldn’t have been opened at all.
We’ll see what happens next, but something will happen. Fact.
Tkachenko’s statement comes from his interview with rbc.ua yesterday. The Minister said, “Undoubtedly, the spiritual monastic life should continue in the Lavra. In what way? I think we will see this in the near future.”
He also says that the state is not currently considering leasing the Lavra long-term, because “religious organizations can’t always handle it from a financial point of view.”
On the other hand, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has paid to lease and completely restore the Lavra from the ruins for decades.
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