The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve continue to send instructions to evict the monks from the monastery. This was stated by the abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl in a commentary published by the press service of the monastery on March 24, 2023, writes Pravlife.

“Today we received an order that we must move out of the 34th building, which we rebuilt from the ruins. I replied that this would not happen, and not only from the 34th, but also from other corps. Because there is no indication of breaking the agreements of the Cabinet of Ministers, there is no indication of the President, there is no court decision. Who is the museum director and minister of culture? Just ordinary people like us. They must comply with the laws of the state and have, at least a little, the fear of God,” said Metropolitan Pavel.

The bishop questioned the veracity of the information that appeared on the Internet, as if the President of Ukraine V. Zelensky ordered the Minister of Culture A. Tkachenko “not to touch” the monks and temples.

“It’s a bluff. Because nowhere is there any decree, no decision. I think this is another move to embarrass people. Because they were told to move out, people rebelled, today they say that they leave the monks so that people can calm down a little … Whether there is such a strong-willed decision of the President is hard to say. If we were not heard under the walls of the Office of the President, if there was no power to give instructions to receive the elder Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine with the Holy Synod, then I am not sure that there is a strict warning to the Minister of Culture,” said Metropolitan Pavel.