Kiev, July 9, 2026
The continued presence of Orthodox monks in the Lower Lavra is hampering tourism and public access to the Kiev Caves Lavra, according to Maxim Ostapenko, General Director of the state-run Kiev Caves Lavra National Preserve.
Speaking in an interview on the LB Live channel, Ostapenko said the ongoing court proceedings over the state’s 2023 termination of its lease agreement with the UOC have left the Lower Lavra territory under a restricted regime, limiting who can visit the site.
Journalist Sonya Koshkina noted in the interview that when Ostapenko first took over as director of the Preserve, he had expressed a goal of transforming the Lavra into a “tourist gem,” rather than as a place of pilgrimage for the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“This places a huge burden on the problem of tourism and people’s access, because the lower territory is essentially under a restricted regime,” Ostapenko said.
Ostapenko said the Near Caves were reopened to worshippers and pilgrims in 2023, free of charge, at designated times. However, the Far Caves remain closed as litigation over the lease termination continues, three years after the state’s decision to end the agreement. He said 15 judges have recused themselves from the case over that period, and the main proceedings have been repeatedly postponed, most recently to July 22.
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