Tkachenko: Lavra – a great place for Pantheon of heroes, with bright future

The Cross Procession of the UOC to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in 2021. Photo: UOJ

Former Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko said in an interview with BBC that the significance of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is in its location between the Holodomor Museum and the Motherland Monument, and under his leadership of the ministry, "the Lavra began to come alive."

According to him, "the museum's authorities developed a concept of a new vision for the modern Lavra as a cultural, educational, and spiritual centre, designed for many years ahead".

He believes that thanks to his efforts, "the Lavra began to come alive, concerts of spiritual music, exhibitions, plans for the completion of the Mazepa Church, and the creation of the Mazepa Museum are being organized on its territory".

Tkachenko believes that "life on this vast territory should breathe, there should be fresh, clean air, including thanks to many things planned to be done this year and next one."

At the same time, he does not mind if monks "to a certain extent" live in the Lavra. However, in Tkachenko's opinion, they should not have "shops," "some kind of farm" or "illegal constructions".

As reported, when calling on Metropolitan Onuphry to serve with the OCU, Tkachenko heard only old songs from him.

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