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

Wounded Catholic priest in Poland calls to forgive Ukrainian attacker

A Catholic priest wounded in the attack on a Benedictine abbey in Jarosław asked the faithful to pray for the attacker and not blame the Ukrainian people as a whole.

UOC begins celebrations honoring St. Kuksha of Odesa

A service on the eve of the feast day of St. Kuksha of Odesa was held at the Dormition Monastery.

Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve raises concern over Sviatohirsk shrines

Exhibition organizers stressed the need to document the impact of the war on Sviatohirsk in order to preserve Ukrainian identity.

Favor Foundation donates food and diapers to Kharkiv hospital

The UOC charity provided hygiene supplies for patients at an emergency hospital in Kharkiv.

Dumenko presents awards to staff ahead of Soviet-era Reserve’s anniversary

The OCU claimed that the creation of the Soviet museum made it possible to preserve the Kyiv Caves Lavra during the years of atheist persecution.

UOJ-USA publishes scandalous Phanar document about chronicles of OCU creation

In the document prepared for Patriarch Bartholomew, a Phanar representative described the SBU's surveillance of the Constantinople delegation and Poroshenko's pressure on the course of the "Unification Council."