MinCulture offers new explanation for dismissal of Lavra Reserve Director

Maksym Ostapenko. Photo: df.news

The Ministry of Culture has stated that Maksym Ostapenko, Director General of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve, was dismissed due to the operation of a café in a historic building and unauthorized renovation work. This was reported by ministry representatives during a meeting with journalists on May 22, 2025, according to UP.Kultura.

According to Oleksiy Zhukov, head of the commission inspecting the reserve, violations included a café operating in a 19th-century building known as the Abbot’s House. He claimed that “the reserve’s management had no founding documents for the use of the premises,” yet the café continued to operate in May despite the commission’s remarks.

“The management stated it was a one-time event, but the café continued to operate,” Zhukov said. He added that using such premises requires authorization from the Ministry’s relevant department and approval from the State Property Fund.

Other complaints included repair work allegedly carried out without proper approval from the Ministry. This included painting walls and other maintenance that the reserve considered routine and not subject to special permissions. The Ministry disagreed. “This is damage to a monument. Each landmark must be preserved in its authentic form,” said Volodymyr Shornikov, Director of the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

Officials also criticized the slow pace of repairs in the buildings formerly leased by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They claimed that now “Ministry restorers” are forced to carry out restoration work themselves.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Minister of Culture Mykola Tochystkyi initially stated that he had dismissed Ostapenko for his “failure to adequately combat the ‘Moscow spirit’” in the Lavra.

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