Ministry of Culture: Cross on Lavra сhurch fell due to Russian shelling
Dismantling of the fallen cross. Photo: SES
On March 8, 2025, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve published an official statement on Facebook regarding the collapse of the cross from the Church of All Saints in the Upper Lavra.
The statement attributed the incident to Russian shelling, which "threatens Ukraine’s cultural heritage."
"Constant missile attacks on Kyiv not only pose a threat to human lives but also critically impact the condition of historical monuments. Shockwaves, seismic vibrations, and tremors caused by the shelling can inflict hidden yet irreversible damage to architectural structures," the Ministry of Culture explained regarding the collapse of the cross from the church built by Mazepa.
At the same time, the statement suggested another possible cause of the incident, noting that the Church of All Saints "has required comprehensive restoration since the 1980s."
The message does not specify which of these is considered the primary cause of the cross’s collapse.
As a reminder, on March 8, a cross collapsed from the dome of the Church of All Saints in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Read also
U.S. bishops call for Church unity on Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy
The Assembly of Bishops of the USA has issued an encyclical for the Triumph of Orthodoxy on Church unity, veneration of icons, and support for pan-Orthodox ministry.
OCU organizes harassment of businessman for aiding UOC
Hryshchuk called for boycotting the business of the entrepreneur who built a UOC church in the Rivne region.
Head of Lavra Reserve: I believe UOC monks will move to the OCU
Ostapenko said there are 140 UOC monks and novices on the territory of the Lower Lavra.
"Shield of Judah": Biblical name given to operations against Iran
A joint Israeli–US military operation against Iran has received a code name referencing the biblical forefather of the Jewish royal line.
In Syria, Islamic militants behead statues of Christ and Virgin Mary
Vandals beheaded statues of the Lord and the Mother of God at the entrance to the "Cave of the Virgin Mary" in the village of Al-Basiya near the coastal city of Banias in Syria.
Icon with particle of Gabriel Urgebadze's relics to be brought to Uzhhorod from Georgia
The holy icon, painted in Georgia, will be brought to the Holy Trinity Church of the Mukachevo Eparchy of the UOC.