On the morning of March 21, authorities from the information and education department of the Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church reported that a commission from the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine began inspecting the safety of museum exhibits at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, specifically in the Nearby Caves area. The information was shared through the church’s Telegram channel and reflects ongoing assessments of museum artifacts and relics housed within the monastery complex.
The update notes that worshippers are continuing to pray in the various shrines. It states that the delegation has left the Near Caves, while many believers remain inside the shrines engaged in prayer. The message also confirms that the distant caves remain open at this time.
Previously, the Synodal Information and Education Department, led by Metropolitan Kliment of Nizhyn and Pryluky, had announced that Ukrainian authorities were restricting access to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra caves beginning March 21. The authorities formed a commission to assess the safety of museum exhibits that contain relics associated with saints kept within the vaults of the site. This decision has drawn responses from church leadership, who have stressed the importance of safeguarding sacred relics while ensuring access for worshippers and visitors.
Earlier reports indicated that the highest hierarchs of the Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by Archbishop Metropolitan Onufry, gathered at the office of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to request a personal meeting. The discussions centered on securing religious sites, ensuring safe visitation, and addressing concerns about the treatment and preservation of sacred relics during the ongoing assessment and any related policy actions.