Ministry of Culture commission is refused entry to Kyiv monastery as abbot insists it should not be working there

At the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), parishioners belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) have blocked entry to a Ministry of Culture commission which was supposed to be conducting an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve.

Source: Radio Liberty on Telegram

Quote from Radio Liberty: "The Commission of the Ministry of Culture was refused entry to the Lavra."

Details: Radio Liberty has reported that UOC-MP believers began to argue with members of the commission.

Комісію Міністерства культури, яка мала проводити інвентаризацію майна "Києво-Печерського заповідника", не пустили до лаври прихожани УПЦ МП. Відео "Радіо Свобода" pic.twitter.com/3jmPukrXmE

— Українська правда ✌️ (@ukrpravda_news) March 30, 2023

Pavlo (Lebid), Abbot of the Kyiv Lavra, told parishioners that the commission "may not work under any circumstances".

Quote from Lebid: "You stand quietly, humbly, and pray. But under no circumstances can any commission work [here]. They don't have permission, they have no right to do this. Why? Because of martial law, they should not break any agreements. And when the war is over, they should not communicate with us until four months later. They don't have a court ruling either."

Details: The abbot also encouraged parishioners to film the journalists who came to cover the events at the Lavra, noting however that they should not break the law, since media representatives are "breaking in" and filming everything.

Pavlo added that "journalists are strange people, they know nothing about either culture or behaviour", adding "May the Lord reward them and their children."

Previously: Despite having been requested to leave the shrine on 29 March, representatives of the UOC-MP still remained in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as of the morning of 30 March and even held a service in one of the churches.

The commission was supposed to have inspected two of the monastery buildings on 30 March.

Representatives of the Ministry of Culture said that if they are hindered in the future, they will call the police.

Background: 

• In March 2023, the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks were supposed to leave the monastery and all its buildings on 29 March.
• The priests of the UOC-MP should have left the monastery on 29 March after holding their last service there.
• But the Lavra’s abbot, Metropolitan Pavlo, said he did not intend to do that and filed a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.
• He also openly threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko was "possessed by an unclean spirit".
• On the evening of 29 March, the UOC-MP website reported that the Kyiv Commercial Court had opened proceedings in a case brought by the Holy Dormition Monastery against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve over the termination of the lease agreement by the National Reserve.
• Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, gave assurances that UOC-MP clergy would not be evicted from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by force.

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