The Reserve seals up two Lavra buildings together with the faithful inside

Believers read prayers in the locked buildings of the Lavra. Photo: Channel 24

On August 11, in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the parishioners of the UOC locked in Buildings 54 and 58 of the monastery. Nevertheless, representatives of the reserve sealed up these premises. This is reported by the Strana publication.

The monastery's hotel rooms are located in two sealed buildings. Law enforcement officers warned the parishioners of the UOC that they could only leave the buildings, but they would not be able to return, since the directorate of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve issued an order according to which outsiders were not allowed into the Lavra. Despite the fact that the monks are allowed to be on the territory of the Lower Lavra, they were verbally told about the same.

“The policemen warned the monks that we should be on the territory of the Lavra. If we leave it, they will not let us back. No one has blocked the buildings for the monks so far, but there were a lot of pilgrims from all over Ukraine on the territory of the Lavra, and since yesterday evening they have not been able to get into the rooms where many have been living for several years,” says one of the monks.

Faithful of the UOC have been staying in blocked buildings since morning reading prayers; many police officers continue to be on duty on the territory.

As reported by the UOJ, Maksym Ostapenko, Acting General Director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve, said that he was taking buildings away from the monastery in order to accommodate the prisoners and the wounded who need "spiritual rehabilitation".

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