The canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church described the authorities’ request to release the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra buildings before July 4 as illegal.
At the beginning of 1 July, Nikita Chekman, the lawyer representing the interests of the UOC, reportedThe Ministry of Culture of Ukraine compelled the priests of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church to leave the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra before July 4.
“The Reserve has no justification for sealing the monastic buildings,” the official said. expression Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
In this regard, the legal department of the UOC emphasized that the unilateral termination of the contract was appealed in court. The reserve of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra does not have any legal basis for terminating the contract, since the court did not give any decision on this matter. The UOC called the request by the monks to evacuate the monastery’s buildings and hand over the keys to them as illegal and urged to view it as arbitrary.
The situation around the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra escalated after the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine informed the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the unilateral termination of the monastery’s lease, the monks were asked to leave the Lavra on March 29. Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks can stay in the Lavra, provided they are transferred to the schismatic Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
On April 1, a Kiev court appointed Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), the governor of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, as a restraining measure in the form of house arrest and a ban on addressing believers.
Former Ukrainian authorities in the open Plans for the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.