The legal department of the UOC reports that the restriction on visiting the monastery from 8.00 to 18.00, which was established by the National Reserve, is illegal.

The statement was published on the official website of the UOC, its text is as follows:

“The services on the territory of the monastery of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra begin at 5.30 in the morning, and the evening services end after 19.00, which is a centuries-old worldwide Orthodox practice. Church services are the main thing for which the temples of the monastery are intended. Evening, morning and afternoon services are held in the temples every day. Each of these divine services consists, in turn, of three types of divine services in the aggregate united in a daily cycle. Divine services also include the performance of all the sacraments, rituals, and the reading of akathists. The clergy regularly perform Baptism, Weddings, Unctions, prayers, funerals and others. In addition to daily church services, services are also performed for the needs of Christians, that is, trebs. The clergy and believers also need additional time to prepare for the start of services and time after they are performed.

Accordingly, the restrictions established by the National Reserve regarding the entry / exit of visitors to the territory of the Lower Lavra from 8.00 to 18.00 are an unlawful obstacle to the conduct of worship. Illegal actions of officials of a state institution direct interference in the internal affairs of the monastery of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine directly states: the church and religious organizations in Ukraine are separated from the state and provide everyone with the right to freedom of opinion and religion. This right includes the freedom to profess any religion or not to profess any, to freely perform, individually or collectively, religious cults and ritual rites, and to conduct religious activities. State institutions are not entitled to interfere in the activities of religious organizations carried out within the framework of the law. According to international law, the state does not have the right to violate the autonomy of a religious community and interfere in its internal affairs in any way.

We call on officials to comply with the requirements of Art. 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, not to interfere in the activities of religious organizations, not to put pressure on believers and clergy, not to provoke religious conflicts, not to incite religious enmity and hatred, not to offend the feelings of citizens in connection with their religious beliefs. It has been historically proven that democratic relations between the state and the Church, based on mutual respect and guaranteeing the rights of self-government of the Church, are a guarantee of national security.”