Deputy of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, Pavlo, known as Pyotr Lebed in daily life, delivered a video message to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the evacuation plans for the monks of the Lavra. The message was published by Strana.ua.
He told the president that tears would fall on Zelensky and his aides, and that such pain would come back to him personally. The Metropolitan asserted that Zelensky bears responsibility for events surrounding the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and for what he described as the expulsion of 220 brothers onto the street. This appeal followed the leadership struggle between the Kyiv Metropolis and the national authorities, and it emphasized a sense of urgency about the monastery’s fate. The Metropolitan also criticized the decision to withhold support from the Kyiv Metropolis and the handling of the situation by the Ministry of Culture. The call ended with a strong moral rebuke toward the president.
Strana.ua noted that faithful members of the UOC spent the night within the Lavra on March 30 out of concern that the monastery could be taken over.
Earlier statements from Metropolitan Pavlo indicated that many monks have resided at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra since 1988 and that if evacuation occurred, they would have nowhere to relocate. He recalled that the UOC had signed a long-term lease that could not be broken during the war, and he said the monks planned to stay through the end of the legal proceedings. He also stated that moving was not an option at that time because current laws protected the rights of individuals.
President’s response to the objection
Zelensky addressed the situation around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, framing the events as a defense against external religious influence and manipulation. He described measures as a step toward greater spiritual independence for the state and as protection for a society that values religious freedom. He stressed that Ukraine has long enjoyed broad freedom of religion in this region of Europe and that such freedom would endure, with a history dating back to the early years of independence.
Background of the conflict over the Lavra
On March 10, the National Reserve Kiev-Pechersk Lavra announced the termination of the UOC-MP’s indefinite lease for the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and demanded that monks vacate by March 29. Authorities proposed a transition of the monastery’s leadership to the newly established Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU), created in 2018. The Russian Orthodox Church, by contrast, viewed the move as a break with tradition.
Metropolitan Pavlo labeled the government actions illegal and refused to leave the monastery, arguing that any contract termination required a court decision. A lawyer for the Lavra, Archimandrite Nikita Chekman, announced that a lawsuit had been filed in the Kiev Economic Court to challenge the lease termination. Following related developments, Epiphanius, a Metropolitan of the UOC, appointed Archimandrite Avraamy to serve as a priest at the Lavra and urged UOC clergy to join the OCU. In response, the UOC banned Epiphanius from serving.
According to Strana.ua, more than a thousand believers assembled in support of the UOC on March 29, with no reported clashes as security personnel and the monks carried on with their activities that day. The Ministry of Culture announced that a commission would visit the Lavra to inventory state property and to facilitate the relocation of movable and personal items. The authorities described the eventual departure of the UOC from the Lavra as a symbolic severance of religious ties between Kyiv and Moscow. In response to these events, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia urged religious leaders and international organizations to help prevent the closure of the monastery and to protect the rights of millions of Ukrainian believers to freedom of religion.
Location and status of the UOC in Ukraine
By late 2022, tensions between the Moscow Patriarchate’s UOC clergy and Ukrainian authorities had escalated. The Security Service of Ukraine opened a case over a pro-Russian song associated with the Lavra and carried out searches in several UOC facilities, uncovering materials some described as pro-Russian literature. Authorities noted the presence of military IDs and various forms of identification among visitors and workers at UOC sites, including some forged documents. The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra remains under state ownership, divided into the Upper and Lower Lavras, which have been used by the UOC. The main churches in the Upper Lavra, including the Assumption Cathedral and the Refectory Church, had an expiring lease that was not renewed. The UOC has claimed certain Lavra temples as part of its property, while the Russian Orthodox Church does not recognize its canonical status.
Ukraine’s culture minister later explained that the focus was not on evacuating all monks but on moving leadership and ensuring the return of state property. He noted that monks always have the option to relocate, while leadership figures who have used the space for years may need to leave if required. These remarks underscored a broader debate about property rights and religious governance during a period of national crisis.