The priests commented on the change in the color of the crosses in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra

The priests interviewed said that it was too hasty to draw conclusions about the recently changed color of the crosses on the Refectory Church of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Recall that in January 2023, the authorities of Ukraine took away the Refectory Church and the Assumption Cathedral, which is considered the main temple of the Lavra, from the canonical Ukrainian Church, transferring it to the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The day before, the crosses on the Refectory Church of the Lavra turned black. According to the abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel, the Catholic Apostolic Church must be protected in any case.

Also, the chairman of the educational committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, recalled that the color of the crosses of the cathedral is not so important compared to the purposes for which the temple is used. Kozlov suggested recalling the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, which in Soviet times was used as a museum of the history of religions and atheism. The archpriest emphasized that during the Soviet period, the crosses of the Kazan Cathedral were always gilded. This, according to the chairman of the educational committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, is not the only case in the history of Russia, namely the Soviet period.

However, Kozlov noted that the Russian Orthodox Church does not recognize the services of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

“The use of the temple by schismatics is a painful and offensive act for the Orthodox. For us, the unacceptability of the presence of schismatics in the ancient Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is undeniable,” said the archpriest.