Alexander Tkachenko: Monastic life should continue in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra

Spiritual monastic life and divine services should continue in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. How this will happen will become clear in the near future. This was stated by the Minister of Culture and Information Policy Alexander Tkachenko in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

He also added that the issue of long-term lease of the premises of the Lavra of the OCU is not yet being considered. But possible changes in the law are being discussed with the deputies so that the Ministry of Culture has the opportunity to transfer state property to religious organizations for free use.

According to the minister, religious organizations are far from always able to pull rent “from a financial point of view. But, apart from the lower Lavra, we have ended the agreements for the use of property in Chernigov and in one of the churches in Pochaev. We are currently working on this regarding the termination of such agreements and the signing of the relevant transfer and acceptance certificates,” Tkachenko added.

As for the Lavra in Kyiv, now, the minister noted, an interdepartmental commission is investigating the safety of property, including more than 800 museum exhibits.

“An important focus is state property. And the state must understand exactly that it has been preserved, that it is in proper condition, including the museum fund, and that the public has access to it,” the official said.