Switzerland will allocate more than $700,000 for the restoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Switzerland has decided to provide financial assistance in the amount of approximately $730,000 (600,000 Swiss francs) for the preservation and restoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The funds will be channeled through UNESCO to save the World Heritage site following the devastating Russian attack.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga emphasized that this assistance is of particular significance ahead of the 975th anniversary of the Lavra’s founding. Support from international partners is aimed at the conservation and restoration work necessary to preserve the shrine for future generations.

As a reminder, on the night of June 15, the altar area of the Assumption Cathedral was damaged by a Russian drone strike, which led to a massive fire. The fire destroyed about 80% of the roof trusses and the wooden structures of the dome, and also damaged the building’s walls and historic windows. In addition, the defensive Tower of John Kushchnik, dating from the 17th–18th centuries, sustained serious damage.

UNESCO officially condemned the attack on the World Heritage site, and the Ukrainian side initiated all necessary procedures to draw international attention to this act of destruction of cultural and spiritual heritage.

As a reminder, it was previously reported that PrivatBank allocated 2 million hryvnias for the restoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, which sustained damage as a result of a Russian strike on Kyiv on the night of June 15. The bank also launched a fundraising campaign so that citizens, businesses, and organizations could contribute to the restoration of one of Ukraine’s key holy sites and cultural heritage monuments.