Kiev, September 4, 2025
risa.ua
Ukrainian authorities have conducted microbiological tests on the relics of the Kiev Caves Lavra, but have refused to provide detailed explanations about the procedures, according to Archpriest Nikita Chekman, the monastery’s lawyer.
Fr. Nikita said that in response to a formal legal request regarding the opening of reliquaries and the removal of relics from the caves to storage facilities, the Kiev Caves Lavra National Preserve (a state body that considers the monastery a museum, as it has been state-owned since Soviet times) issued a letter that did not answer the questions substantively, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists, with reference to Fr. Nikita’s Telegram channel.
Attempts to obtain information from the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine were also unsuccessful. The Ministry advised Fr. Nikita to contact the National Preserve directly for answers.
The priest-lawyer emphasized that microbiological tests were carried out by the laboratory of the Regional Center ECOMEDKHIM at Sumy State University. Legal requests for the results of these tests were ignored, and the Ministry of Culture stated that it could not provide copies of the testing protocols, again directing inquiries to the Lavra.
According to Fr. Nikita, this refusal to provide information violates Ukrainian law on advocacy and the rights of lawyers to access information necessary to represent their clients. The Lavra has filed a complaint with the Kiev Regional Bar Council to hold responsible parties accountable and to prevent further desecration of the relics.
The controversy over the handling of the relics follows reports from August showing museum staff removing reliquaries from the Caves and handling them outdoors and stacking them haphazardly in a closet. The monastery’s brotherhood has not had access to the relics since March, when a government commission began inspecting them. The commission included scientists and medical professionals, and DNA testing of the remains has also been planned.
Orthodox hierarchs and clerics from around the world have expressed outrage at the handling of the relics.
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