Kiev, June 18, 2026
Photo: lavra.ua
Ukrainian authorities face criminal charges after officials of the Kiev Caves Lavra National Preserve illegally locked monks out of two buildings on the historic monastery’s grounds, a lawyer for the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church announced Wednesday.
On June 17, information about a criminal offense was entered into Ukraine’s Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under Article 356 of the Criminal Code—arbitrariness— in connection with the unlawful restriction of access to buildings No. 41 and No. 42 on the Lavra’s territory, buildings occupied by the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the Church’s Information-Education Department.
According to available information, officials of the National Reserve changed the locks on the buildings without any enforceable court decisions and despite the existence of unresolved legal disputes over the right to use the property—effectively cutting the monastery off from premises it has been occupying.
The registration of the criminal case indicates that there are sufficient grounds to examine the legality of the Preserve officials’ actions and establish the full circumstances of the incident. In the course of the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement authorities are expected to identify those involved, determine their motives, and provide a proper criminal-law assessment of the unauthorized restriction of the monastery’s access to the disputed property.
Archpriest Nikita Chekman, the monastery’s lawyer, expressed hope for a thorough, comprehensive, and impartial investigation, the identification of those responsible, and the restoration of the monastery’s violated rights through due process of law.
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