Lavra Reserve and OCU sign memorandum on preservation of caves and relics

Lotysh and Kotliarevska. Photo: Reserve’s Facebook page

On December 31, 2025, the “OCU abbot of the Lavra,” Avraamiy Lotysh, and the director of the Lavra Reserve, Svitlana Kotliarevska, signed a “memorandum of understanding and cooperation.”

According to the reserve’s press service, the parties commit themselves jointly “to carry out measures to ensure the preservation and proper use of sacred objects of national cultural heritage, and especially the preservation of the Near and Far Caves and the relics of the venerable fathers.”

How exactly Lotysh and the OCU “monks” intend to preserve the caves and the relics is not specified in the text.

As the parties claim, their cooperation is needed “for the sustainable development of society and the spiritual support of Ukraine.”

Recall that six people live in the Lavra as part of the OCU “brotherhood.” According to OCU sources, all of them are employees of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine on the payroll. None of them has experience in caring for the relics of the Venerable Fathers of the Caves.

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