Gov’t commission continues to expect Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

The Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, reported on the latest findings amid an ongoing audit of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the site that until recently served as the Moscow-controlled church headquarters.

That’s according to Tkachenko’s Telegram posting, seen by Ukrinform.

The inspection looked into the three locations (two of them recognized as sites of national significance and one – of local significance). These include the gallery leading to the Near Caves, the bell tower at the Near Caves, and the entrance to the Near Caves Gallery.

The team of experts had to force their way into the buildings as the doors were locked and no keys were provided to start the inspection.

The inspected buildings are elements of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tkachenko stressed.

"The condition of the objects can be seen in the photos. In addition, there were no signs of any fire prevention measures being taken by the (former - ed.) tenant," minister added.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve announced the termination of the lease agreement with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate effective March 29, 2023, however, the audit team’s work confronted numerous obstacles in their work, including the physical locking of the buildings set to be inspected.