Pochaiv Lavra's press office: Inventory commission was accompanied by SBU

An SBU officer at Pochaiv Lavra, November 30, 2023. Archive photo: hromadske

During the attempted illegal inventory at the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra on January 17, representatives of the Ministry of Culture were accompanied by officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the police. According to the monastery’s press office, this presence was intended to apply psychological pressure on the monks.

"The involvement of Security Service officers and police, alongside a representative of the Ministry of Culture, exerts psychological pressure on the monks and misleads the Ukrainian public into believing that the residents of Pochaiv Lavra are unwilling to act within the law," the statement said.

The monastery also believes that this attempt at what it calls "this shameful expropriation" is "a direct act of disrespect towards religious feelings and persecution of the faithful, monks, and all pilgrims of the Pochaiv Lavra."

As previously reported by the UOJ, the Pochaiv Lavra filed a police complaint over the attempted illegal inventory.

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