Ministry of Culture criticizes work of Lavra Reserve

Head of the Lavra Reserve M. Ostapenko in the Assumption Cathedral. Photo: Facebook of the reserve

On May 26, 2025, a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy was held in a video conference format. It was attended by the First Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Halyna Hryhorenko and Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Serhiy Beliaev. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.

The central topic of discussion was the condition of two of the country's most important historical and cultural complexes – the National Reserves "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra" and "Saint Sophia of Kyiv".

During the meeting, complaints were voiced against the current management of the Kyiv-Pechersk Reserve. According to ministry representatives, the objects on its territory are in unsatisfactory sanitary, technical, and fire safety conditions. It was also stated that there were “numerous violations of legislation in the field of cultural heritage protection.”

The ministry's working group conducted an inspection, the results of which showed that 21 monuments on the territory of the Lavra are in unsatisfactory or partially unsatisfactory condition, and one is in an emergency state. In 2024–2025, restoration work was started on four sites, but was subsequently suspended and has not been resumed.

In addition, the report mentions cases of the Reserve’s territory being used for commercial and hotel facilities, as well as for parking lots, without proper documentation. According to the ministry, 23 architectural heritage sites lack protection agreements, which poses a threat of further destruction of these unique monuments of spiritual culture.

The head of the parliamentary Committee, Mykyta Poturaev, stated that a separate session will soon be held devoted exclusively to the issue of preserving and managing cultural heritage sites in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote about a provocateur attempting to disrupt a service in the Lavra.

Read also