UOC lawyer: New leadership of 'reserve' plans to restrict access of brethren to premises of 'lower' Lavra

The new management of the Kyiv Cave Monastery National Reserve plans to restrict access to the premises of the lower monastery for the monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the near future. Representatives of the “reserve” want to take such actions despite the fact that no court decisions have been made on this issue. This was reported by the Lavra’s lawyer, Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

“There is disturbing information: tomorrow the new leadership of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve plans to take illegal actions aimed at restricting the access of the brethren to the premises of the Lower Lavra. We remind you: there is no court decision that has entered into force and would allow such actions, and the lawsuits are still ongoing! Each unlawful interference in the life of the Monastery by officials of the Reserve or the Ministry of Culture will receive a proper legal assessment, and responsibility will not be avoided,” — the lawyer wrote.

It is worth noting that 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.”