SVR announced plans of Ukraine to transfer relics from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to the West

The Ukrainian authorities can take the relics of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to European museums in accordance with agreements with UNESCO, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said. writes TASS.

“According to the SVR, an agreement was reached between the Kiev authorities and representatives of UNESCO on the removal of Christian valuables, including holy relics, from the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and their subsequent transfer to the museums of Italy, France, Germany and the Vatican under the pretext of “rescuing from Russian missile strikes ”, – stated in the statement of the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, which is cited by the press service.

The conflict between the authorities of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) escalated in March 2023. The leadership of the national reserve ordered the representatives of the UOC to leave the territory and buildings of the Lavra until March 29 due to the termination of the contract – after that, the servants of the Lavra filed a lawsuit with the court of Ukraine to challenge the termination lease agreements. An application for securing the claim was also filed, which was later dismissed by the court.

Later, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, supported the termination of the lease agreement with the UOC, but did not approve the petition about it, citing the illegality of such actions. According to him, now the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is drafting a ban on religious organizations, the control center of which is in Russia. Until the bill was approved, Klitschko refused to terminate the lease agreements.

June 6 Ukrainian Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko informedthat the Commission of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine obliged the monks to leave the Lavra. Tkachenko also said that the commission will return 79 objects to the use of the state. According to him, the UOC was “permitted unauthorized restructuring, completion, redevelopment of cultural heritage monuments”, etc.