MinCulture opens Lavra's Near Caves only for groups and by reservation

Dumenko in the Near Caves. Photo: Ministry of Culture

From February 25, 2026, the Ministry of Culture opens "in a controlled mode" access for believers to the Near Caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the ministry’s press service said in a statement.

Officials clarify that access to the caves will be available from Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 11:00, but only by prior reservation and as part of groups. Whether access will be paid or not is not specified in the message. From 12:00 to 16:00, guided tours will be conducted through the caves.

Before the opening, on "National Prayer Day," Serhiy Dumenko performed a "Prayer for Ukraine" at the Exaltation of the Cross Church above the Near Caves.

The Ministry of Culture's statement said that "the opening of the Near Caves for believers is not only a long-awaited and outstanding event in church life, but also a sign of the indestructibility of our faith."

"The opening of the Near Caves is a continuation of cooperation between the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Reserve, and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. We are reviving the route in the caves as it was under Peter Mohyla and Ivan Mazepa, restoring the tradition of Ukrainian pilgrimage," noted Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna.

What relation Dumenko has to the Caves and what his contribution to the "cooperation" is, she did not specify.

As reported the OCU promised that everyone will be allowed into the Lavra caves, "regardless of denomination".

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