The press service of the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” said that the Reserve “begins the procedure for the return of cultural values and relics located in the Middle Caves”. This is stated on the Facebook page of the institution.

Such a step is due to the fact that representatives of the monastery of the UOC, which actually continue to use part of the objects of the Lower Lavra until the court decision, refused to give access to the caves to representatives of the OCU.

The Monastery noted that on the eve of the second anniversary of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, representatives of the OCU wanted to hold “a special service for the repose of the souls of all those killed by Russian aggression together with believers, military personnel and chaplains in the caves near the Orthodox shrines of the Lavra”.

Since the Monastery did not provide access to the caves to the OCU and, in addition, informed the representatives of the Reserve about the ongoing repairs in the Near Caves, the Reserve announced the beginning of the “return of cultural values and relics”, and also assured that this is done allegedly “to ensure free access of all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs, to the shrines of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, within the framework of the current legislation”.

We shall remind you that earlier we wrote that representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine came to Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra again.