Reserve demands that Lavra hand over the relics of Caves saints

Near Caves. Photo: the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra website

The head of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve Maksym Ostapenko said in a letter to the monastery that from 27 February a commission on "the return of cultural values to have them listed" will start working in the Near Caves, reports the Lavra's lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman on his Telegram channel.

He said the monastery received such a letter after refusing to facilitate a "worship service" of the OCU in the Near Caves on 24 February 2024, which was to be attended by "Archbishop Agapit of Vyshhorod" of the OCU. The lawyer attached the monastery's correspondence with the Reserve, in which the monks explained that such a "divine service" was impossible for two reasons. The first is that the UOC and the OCU are not in eucharistic communion. The second is that the monastery is carrying out repairs in the caves, which the monks are doing at the request of the Reserve itself.

"There is no limit to the cynicism and blatant manipulation of the Reserve representatives and some religious organisations," the lawyer wrote. “First of all, we would like to remind the public that according to the Reserve's Order N 04-07/91 of 10.08.2023, from 7:00 a.m. on 11 August 2023, access to the territory of the Lower Lavra was closed to visitors. Subsequently, the Reserve requests in writing the Monastery to carry out repair work in the caves. The Monastery agrees (despite everything), informs the representatives of the Reserve also in the form of correspondence about it and starts repair works. And then suddenly come representatives of the most patriotic religious organisation in Ukraine (who never manipulate on the sorrow of war), and demand to open the caves, in which repair works are already being carried out (about which they are probably "allegedly" unaware), to accuse of non-admission and obstruction... Coincidence? No, we don't think so!".

As reported, the Lavra filed a police complaint against the head of the Reserve for inciting hatred.

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