Greece is ready to join the restoration of the Cathedral of the Dormition at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Greece has announced its readiness to support the restoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site damaged as a result of the Russian attack on June 15. Athens intends to fund preparatory studies for the restoration of the complex and to expand cooperation with Ukraine in the field of cultural heritage protection.

According to Orthodoxia.info, Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni sent a letter to Ukrainian Minister of Culture Tetyana Berezhnaya, in which she expressed her condolences and support in connection with the damage inflicted on the historic monastic complex. In the letter, the Greek side emphasized its readiness to participate in preparing the necessary restoration studies.

Mendoni condemned the attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, noting that it is a site of exceptional architectural, historical, cultural, and religious value. According to her, cultural heritage must not be targeted or used as a tool in armed conflicts.

In addition to funding restoration research, Greece is promoting the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the European Center for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. The document is intended to strengthen cooperation between the parties on issues related to the preservation and restoration of monuments.

As part of this cooperation, there are also plans to organize specialized training seminars in Thessaloniki for Ukrainian restorers of antiquities and works of art. These programs are aimed at enhancing the professional training of specialists involved in the protection and restoration of Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “St. Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” and is considered one of Ukraine’s most important religious and cultural monuments.