The administration of the "nature reserve" plans to turn the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra into the "Ukrainian Vatican"

Maksym Ostapenko, director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, presented the concept for the shrine’s development to the diplomatic corps, stating that in the future it should become the “Ukrainian Vatican.” The goal of this large-scale project is to completely eliminate the influence of the “Russian World” on the monastery’s activities and public perception. This was reported by BBC News Ukraine.

During the meeting, which took place on August 6, 2026, in the Refectory Church, the reserve’s leadership organized a tour for representatives of the diplomatic corps, including Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valeriy Zaluzhny, and other high-ranking officials. The main goal of the event was to debunk “myths” about the Lavra, which, according to Ostapenko, are still widespread in the international community. He emphasized that transforming the Lavra and restoring “historical justice” would take time, and called on the diplomats to assist in promoting a new image of the holy site on the international stage.

As part of the visit, reserve staff gave a presentation analyzing key points regarding the monastery’s current state and history. However, the issue of the monastery’s possible return to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the resumption of monastic life there was not raised. It is worth noting that earlier, according to a source, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to establish a National Pantheon on the reserve’s grounds, which confirms the authorities’ overall strategy to change the functional purpose of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

As a reminder, we previously reported that approximately 140 monks and novices of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continue to reside on the grounds of the Lower Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, despite the termination of the agreement with the monastery. This was reported by Maksym Ostapenko, head of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, who noted that the issue of the monastic community’s continued presence must be resolved in court.