Kiev, March 31, 2023
Photo: news.church.ua
In July 2013, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine issued a decree on the transfer of the Kiev Caves Lavra to the use of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
And yesterday, the Ukrainian government declared this decree invalid, Minister of Culture Alexander Tkachenko reported on his Telegram channel.
“By a number of legal decisions, the management of the Lavra’s property passed to the state, since it is the state that owns these objects,” the Minister wrote, referring to Ukraine’s inheritance from the Soviet Union of ownership over the Lavra.
The Church’s Legal Department then issued a statement explaining that the state’s decision is illegal and in violation of various decisions of the Constitutional Court. Thus, the monastery will legally appeal this decision and also report on it to the UN.
Meanwhile, the monastery had already initiated a case about the order for the brotherhood to abandon the monastery. The case began to be heard in Kiev on Wednesday. However, yesterday the Court refused to grant the monastery’s petition that the Ministry of Culture not be able to evict the brotherhood at least for the duration of the case.
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