“Discussed the eviction of the UOC”: Head of OCU meets with acting head of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra reserve

On May 27, 2025, the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, met with Svitlana Kotlyarevska, acting head of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. The parties discussed further cooperation and the liberation of the Lavra “from the influence of the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate.” This is reported by the official website of the organization.

It is reported that during the meeting, the parties discussed the current state of affairs in the Lavra, joint projects and the establishment of an effective dialogue between the OCU and the National Reserve for the full functioning and development of the OCU monastery within the walls of the Kyiv Cave Monastery, opening access to the monastery caves, as well as “the situation with the ongoing unjustified stay of representatives of the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate in the buildings of the Reserve.”

Dumenko expressed his belief that the new leadership of the reserve will act more actively within the framework of the current legislation to “completely free the Lavra from the influence of the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate.”

Earlier, we reported that Svitlana Kotlyarevska was appointed acting director general of the Kyiv Cave Monastery National Reserve by the decree of the head of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. It is noted that she previously held the position of Deputy Director General for Paid Services of the Reserve.