The monks of the UOC were again obliged to leave the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra

The Ukrainian authorities demanded that the monks of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) vacate a number of buildings of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra before July 4. The corresponding letter of the Ministry of Culture of the country was published in his Telegram channel by lawyer Nikita Chekman, acting in the interests of the UOC.

“Reserve [»Киево-Печерская лавра»] a decision was made to terminate the access of the monks of the monastery to the premises <...>. By order of the reserve, a commission was created to seal the buildings, which will begin work on 07/04/2023. In this regard, we ask you to vacate the premises and hand over the keys to them to the reserve,” says in the document (translation by TASS).

The conflict between the authorities of Ukraine and the UOC escalated in March 2023. Then 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. The monks refused to comply with this requirement.

Both sides then went to court. Lavra ministers filed a lawsuit to challenge the termination of the lease. An application for securing the claim was also filed, which the court later rejected. Since then, the hearings on the claims of the monastery against the reserve and the reserve against the UOC have been repeatedly postponed.

On June 6, the Commission of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine ordered the monks of the UOC to leave the Lavra within three working days. According to the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko, the commission signed an act of acceptance and transfer of state property of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra with the reserve. Then the UOC stated that the demand of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine was illegal and unfounded. Metropolitan Kliment, the chairman of the synodal information and educational department of the canonical UOC, noted that for several months the authorities of Ukraine and the reserve have not provided the court with documents confirming the grounds for unilateral termination of the lease agreement.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ earlier called what is happening a flagrant violation of the rights and freedoms of believers in Ukraine and compared the ultimatum with “persecution of faith in times of godlessness.” The Kremlin also condemned the actions of the Ukrainian authorities.