Pochaev, June 4, 2025
Photo: Telegram Yesterday, an inspection was slated to begin at the Pochaev Lavra as per decree by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture. But Metropolitan Tikhon’s (Orthodox Church of America) visit foiled these plans, at least temporarily, reports the Telegram channel, Miryanye.
“Technically, it (the commission's inspection) has already started… But according to our verified information, their inspection cannot start in full because today the Pochaev Lavra is welcoming the Primates of the Ukrainian and American Orthodox Churches,” the message states. The Miryanye organization asks people to increase their prayers for the Holy Lavra.
As reported earlier by the Union of Orthodox Journalists, on May 24, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy issued a decree stating that the commission will inspect “the condition of the preservation of immovable property of the reserve” from June 3 to 29. Such “inspections” of major holy sites in Ukraine such as the Kiev Caves Lavra and the Holy Dormition-Pochaev Lavra, usually signal a pending reclamation by the state. Since these monasteries, steeped in history and prayer, were never returned to the Church after the fall of atheist Soviet power, confiscation of monastery buildings, territory, and sacred property now continually hangs over their heads. The confiscations are generally in favor of the non-canonical OCU, which regardless of its favored status by the state, attracts far fewer worshippers than the UOC, and has been known to allow sacred cathedrals to be used as—in some cases blasphemous—concert venues.
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