“Russia will prepare provocations in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra” - the head of the ”reserve” Ostapenko

Director of the National Reserve “Kiev-Pechersk Lavra” Maksym Ostapenko has said that Russia “will prepare provocations” on the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The official connects his hypothesis with the adoption of the law № 8371, aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. About this he said in an interview with the publication “Obozrevatel”.

“We must recognize that Russia tried to turn Lavra into a key bastion from which they pressured Ukrainian society. But at the end of the day, whether the governing center of the Lavra monastery is located in Russia will be decided by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience. Russia will definitely prepare some provocations. And I am sure that not only with Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. They will try to sway our society as much as possible. But we should treat everything calmly and with restraint,” — Ostapenko said.

In addition, the official commented on the possibility of eviction of UOC monks from the territory of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Ostapenko suggested that due to the adoption of the law № 8371, this process may be accelerated.

“We have already seen a year of replacements of the composition of the judges, self-declaration. Our opponents in the courts have used all the procedural points that could be used. But I hope that our courts will remember that Ukraine is at war, that the courts are a very important element of the state. And it cannot be that the country is at war, and they live in some parallel world. In this situation, we should think not only about the letter of the law, but also about the spirit of the law,” — the head of the ‘reserve’ added.