The Ukrainian authorities gave the UOC three days to completely evict from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
The most ambitious for the whole newest history persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by the Kyiv regime under the pretext of its links with the Russian clergy. The most acute confrontation unfolded around the property complex of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which the brotherhood occupies under a lease agreement with the reserve of the same name, subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of the Government of Ukraine.
In February of this year, the Ministry of Culture announced the unilateral termination of the lease agreement and demanded that the monks and clergy leave the territory of the temple complex before March 29. The Minister of Culture of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko said that the monks can stay in the Lavra, provided they transfer to the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). In response, Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed in the world), the governor of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, stated that there would be no compromises, and he declared unilateral termination of the agreement illegal. The actions of the authorities were challenged by the lawyers of the UOC in court, the decision on the claim has not yet been made.
After the expiration of the "ultimatum" period, representatives of the Ministry of Culture, employees of the reserve, with the support of law enforcement agencies, began to actually seize the Lavra, sealing the premises one after another and preventing the services from being held. All this bacchanalia took place with the active support of Ukrainian nationalists and schismatic clergy of the OCU.
Today, Minister Tkachenko published a message on his Telegram channel that the commission for the transfer and acceptance of property of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine has completed work in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. It is reported that an act of acceptance and transfer of the property complex of the Lavra to the National Reserve "Kiev-Pechersk Lavra" has already been signed. The management of the reserve sent the UOC-MP a demand to leave the territory of the temple complex within three days.
The head of the Ministry of Culture said that a total of 79 objects were inspected and transferred to the jurisdiction of the state in various conditions. He promised to deal with the fact that during the lease of the UOC, unauthorized redevelopment and completion of cultural heritage monuments were allowed. In addition, several new buildings were erected on the territory of the Lavra without the consent of the authorities.
As follows from Tkachenko's statement, the representatives of the monastery refused to sign the act of acceptance and transfer of the property of the Lavra, which they notified the Ministry of Culture and the reserve through their office. In this regard, the reserve sent the act and all documents to the address of the monastery office by mail and in electronic form.
The head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture threatened that if the UOC continues to prevent the transfer of the property of the Lavra to the reserve, then the issue will be resolved in court. It is not entirely clear which court is being referred to. After all, earlier the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, on behalf of the National Reserve, had already filed a lawsuit with the Kyiv Economic Court against the monastery of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to remove obstacles to the use of property. Yesterday, at the request of the lawyer of the UOC, Nikita Chekman, the court postponed the preparatory hearing for July 6, 2023, the press service of the monastery reports.
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