"Reserve" and "OCU monastery" sign memorandum on preservation of caves and relics of saints in Kyiv Cave Monastery

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve and the OCU have signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation. The document, concluded on December 31, 2025, is aimed at “jointly taking measures to ensure the preservation and proper use of sacred objects of national cultural heritage, in particular the Near and Far Caves, as well as the relics of the monks.” This was reported by the press service of the reserve on Facebook.

The memorandum was signed by the director of the Lavra Reserve Svitlana Kotlyarevska and an employee of the reserve and part-time head of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery of the OCU Avrahamiy Lotysh, whom the press service of the reserve calls “the governor of the OCU Lavra.” According to the institution, the parties undertake to work together “to preserve the objects.”

The parties stated that their cooperation is intended to promote “sustainable development of society and spiritual support for Ukraine.” Currently, according to reports, the OCU “brethren” in the Lavra include six people who, according to OCU sources, are employees of the Ministry of Culture and receive a salary. It is noted that they have no experience in caring for the relics of the Monks of the Caves.

Earlier, we reported that tensions persist in the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, where monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and employees of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Historical and Architectural Reserve, who present themselves as “monks of the OCU,” are forced to coexist. The main disagreements are related to the legal status of the territory and the expectation of court decisions.