Kiev-Pechersk reserve took away another temple on the territory of Lavra from the UOC

The Kiev-Pechersk National Historical and Architectural Reserve has restricted the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s access to the temple in honor of the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Life-bearing Spring”, which is located on the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The “reserve” demanded from the monastic community of the UOC to take away their belongings from the temple, as it will now be used for the needs of the OCU chaplains. The corresponding letter of the “reserve” published the lawyer of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

“We offer to take away personal belongings, hand over the keys to the building number 47 to representatives of the Reserve until 16:00 on August 14, 2024, as well as, if necessary, to conduct divine services by representatives of the Monastery in the Chapel for the military parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church after prior coordination with the management of the Reserve”, — stated in the letter signed by the Director of the ‘reserve’ Maxim Ostapenko.

We will remind, earlier the speaker of the OCU Evstratiy Zorya expressed hope that the state will be able to finally resolve the issue with the stay of monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on the territory of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Zorya believes that the monastic community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has no right to stay on the territory of the monastery.