The events that are taking place in and around the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra create an unfavorable information background for Ukraine. Theologian Kirill Govorun said about this in an interview with the DF.

“In my opinion, I honestly do not know how this story with the Lavra will end. Obviously, there is a confrontation between the state, which legitimately claims its rights and disposes of the property in accordance with the law, and people who consider themselves, in modern parlance, ‘Lavra steakholers,’ that they have been going to this Lavra for years, that they really helped to restore it, and now they believe that this Lavra is being taken away from them. This confrontation will obviously continue, and frankly speaking, I don’t see when it will end,” Govorun said.

According to the theologian, a possible way out of this situation would be the coexistence of the two communities on the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. This would not only solve the Lavra problem, but would also open the possibility for the UOC and the OCU to “find a model of coexistence.”

“In my opinion, this would be the most realistic option for solving this problem. Lavra is large and has natural conditions for the coexistence of the two communities. it is divided into Upper and Lower Lavra, they are even physically separated by a wall with gates that can be closed for a while, but it is better to keep them open,” Govorun said.

The theologian believes that it would be natural to have a OCU community in Upper Lavra and a UOC community in Lower Lavra.

“In addition, we can consider the possibility of a third community – of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – on the territory of Lavra, since Lavra was founded under the jurisdiction of Constantinople and for most of its history existed under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” he added.