Ministry of Culture creates commission to inspect Pochaiv Lavra monastery

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has set up a commission to check the use of the Pochaiv Lavra by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).

Source: Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy, on air during the 24/7 national joint newscast 

Quote: "We have set up commissions to check the use of facilities both in the Pochaiv Lavra and in the Chernihiv Reserve, where agreements on the use of some of the reserve's facilities have already been suspended."

Details: According to the minister, the work at the Pochaiv Lavra is just beginning.

"There is a different situation there compared to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, because there is the Kremenets Reserve, there is the Pochaiv Lavra, and there are relations between them. One of the churches has a terminated use agreement in the Kremenets Reserve. We also have a case in the local court as to why we are not allowed to enter this church, but this is a [long-lasting] process," said Tkachenko.

Tkachenko has added that the Ministry of Culture is in a "civilised dialogue" with representatives of the UOC-MP in Chernihiv.

Background: 

• In March 2023, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks had to leave the monastery and all buildings on 29 March.
• On 3 April, more than 30 MPs initiated an appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada [the Ukrainian parliament – ed.] with a proposal to terminate the lease agreement with the UOC-MP for the premises of the Pochaiv Lavra.
• Later, the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy recommended that the Verkhovna Rada adopt a resolution to verify compliance with the terms of the UOC-MP's contracts for the free use of religious buildings of the Pochaiv Lavra.

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