The hearing on the case of the "lower" Kiev-Pechersk Lavra postponed again

On March 5, 2026, the Northern Economic Court of Appeal once again postponed the hearing on the case on the use of the Lower Lavra. The reason for postponing the hearing, as in previous cases, was the illness of the judge, which sets a precedent for repeated delays in the proceedings concerning the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

According to UOC lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman, the hearing was canceled due to the judge’s illness. It should be noted that this is not the first such incident related to the trial on the Lower Lavra. Earlier it was reported about the postponement of the hearing on December 18, 2025. Then the trial on the expulsion of monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was postponed an hour before the start of the session also due to the sudden departure of the judge on sick leave. These systematic delays cause concern of the public and participants of the process, who are waiting for the resolution of the situation with the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Recall, earlier we reported that the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” has “rebranded” the names of the saints whose incorruptible relics rest in the caves of the Holy Assumption Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The plaques with the names of the saints, which were previously written in Church Slavonic, have been translated into Ukrainian.