Kiev, June 6, 2023
Photo: wikimedia.org
The Kiev Caves Lavra National Reserve, the state organization under the Ministry of Culture that controls the monastery from a legal point of view, has given the brotherhood and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church three days to vacate the monastery.
Recall that the Lavra became a state-operated museum in Soviet times, which has continued under the Ukrainian state.
Minister of Culture Alexander Tkachenko published the relevant order on his Telegram channel today. According to him, the commission appointed by the Reserve has completed its inspection of the Lower Lavra and is demanding that the UOC release the monastery within three working days.
According to the Minister, if the Church doesn’t leave the territory of its own monastery, “a court case will be held to make an appropriate decision to remove obstacles to the Reserve’s use of the property.”
Representatives of the monastery refused to accept the act of acceptance and transfer of state property through the chancellery today, Tkachenko writes, thus the relevant documents were sent by mail and email.
At the same time, a relevant case was already brought in the Commercial Court of Kiev months ago. Yesterday, the Court decide to postpone the matter for another month.
Recall that the Church was initially ordered to vacate the monastery by March 29, but the monks stood strong, and thousands of faithful came out to protect their holy site, and so Orthodox Divine services continue in the monastery more than two months later.
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
