The Ukrainian authorities offered the monks of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to go to the OCU

Minister of Culture and Information Policy Alexander Tkachenko said that Kyiv does not raise the issue of evicting monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. According to him, we are talking about the eviction of some leaders. The minister said the monks “always have a choice,” referring to the move from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, founded in 2019.

“No one raises the question of the eviction of the monks, it is about the return of property that belongs to the state, both movable and immovable. If someone should leave, in my opinion, in the forefront, these are the leaders who have been illegally building on the territory of the UNESCO site for many years,” Mr. Tkachenko said on the air of the telethon (quote from Interfax-Ukraine). ).

Vicar of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel declaredthat the monks will not be evicted. Mr. Tkachenko believes that the situation will change when “these citizens” leave the territory of the Lavra. In his opinion, specialists and law enforcement agencies “will stimulate such a decision.”

National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” until March 29 demanded from the UOC to leave the territory of the Lavra. The decision was justified by the identified violations of the terms of the agreement on gratuitous use. Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ Kirill addressed to the world community with a request not to allow the Ukrainian authorities to expel the monks, the addressees of the appeal were Pope Francis, UN Secretary General António Guterres, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, head of the Anglican Communion Justin Welby and other religious and political leaders.

Leonid Uvarchev