Kiev, July 6, 2026
Photo: uoc-news.church
Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has adopted Resolution No. 871, dated July 1, establishing a mechanism for creating a “Ukrainian National Pantheon” on the territory of the Kiev Caves Lavra, the holiest site in Ukraine and one of the oldest sacred sites of the Orthodox Church, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The move comes as Ukrainian authorities have continued efforts described as “spiritually liberating” the Lavra from the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a process that has included the seizure of most of the monastery’s churches from the UOC, the eviction of its seminary, and ongoing attempts to remove the monastics who live there in a line of succession stretching back a thousand years.
The relics long venerated in the Caves have been reclassified by the state as “cultural valuables,” and the site has increasingly hosted secular events such as art exhibitions and rock concerts, with the planned pantheon now added to that list.
Under the resolution, the pantheon will operate as part of the state-operated Kiev Caves Lavra National Preserve. The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory has been tasked with developing its concept and structure. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy is to identify a specific location for the pantheon on the Lavra grounds and to hold an architectural competition for the design of the memorial complex.
According to the law passed on July 1, the pantheon is meant to honor individuals whom the state determines to have made “an exceptional contribution to the struggle for Ukraine’s independence, state-building, and the development of the military, science, culture, and other spheres of public life.”
The UOC’s report concludes: “For nearly 1,000 years, the Kiev Caves Lavra has remained a place of unceasing prayer, monastic struggle, and rest for God’s holy saints. That is precisely why the decision to place a state memorial complex on its territory has caused widespread public resonance and discussion.”
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