MinCulture reports destruction of Lavra sites under Ostapenko’s leadership

Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: Holos Ukrainy

On June 10, 2025, the state of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve was discussed during a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, Holos Ukrainy reports.

The meeting was attended by Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Information Policy Mykola Tochytskyi, his deputy Serhii Beliayev, acting director of the reserve Svitlana Kotliarevska, former director Maksym Ostapenko, and representatives of other cultural institutions.

Deputy Minister Beliayev presented photographic and documentary evidence pointing to Ostapenko’s negligence in managing the reserve. The images showed damage to historical buildings and violations of cultural heritage preservation standards. Beliayev stated that a significant portion of the budget allocated for restoration and infrastructure development at the Lavra had not been used.

During the session, members of parliament urged the Culture Minister to communicate ministry decisions more actively and called for closer cooperation between the Ministry and the committee on staffing decisions in cultural institutions.

Maksym Ostapenko was dismissed from his post as director of the reserve, and Svitlana Kotliarevska was appointed acting director. While many of her proposals for managing the Lavra align with those of her predecessor, members of parliament expressed hope that under her leadership, the reserve will receive fresh momentum for development and improved protection of its cultural heritage.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a criminal case was opened against the acting head of the Lavra following her meeting with Dumenko.

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