Coffee, ice cream, embroidery – Ministry of Culture's plan to attract people to Lavra

Sale of souvenirs in the Lavra Reserve. Photo: Kotliarevska's Facebook

Acting director of the "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra" Reserve Svitlana Kotliarevska complained that after the closure of the caves, the attendance of the Lavra has catastrophically decreased, but shared a plan on how to attract people to the Reserve.

According to her, in 2017-2019, the average attendance of the Lavra was from 400,000 to 439,000 per year. In 2023 and 2024 – respectively, 58,000 and 89,000.

Kotliarevska admits that the reason for the drop in attendance is "closed caves, because many came here specifically for them and for spiritual support."

She claims that the Reserve is "doing everything in their power" to open the Lower Lavra.

"A large set of tasks needs to be completed: these include legal proceedings and the legal settlement of various issues – from administrative to infrastructural-engineering," the official said. She assured that in the Lower Lavra before its closure by the authorities, "everything worked according to the ideology of our enemy and had its own tasks."

"Now we are creating new things for the benefit of Ukraine and the Lavra," Kotliarevska assured, and reported that when they manage to expel the UOC monastery brethren from there, she will launch "all components of infrastructure management necessary for visitors" in the Lower Lavra.

According to her, "it is important for the visitor to have a place to drink water or coffee, buy ice cream or purchase souvenirs."

"We have a huge field for research and creating the recipe for 'Lavra coffee'. We are ready to cooperate with cafes that want to explore its historical components with us," Kotliarevska said. She also hopes to interest Lavra visitors with folk embroidery.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Reserve announced the "derussification" of the frescoes of the Lavra's Assumption Cathedral.

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