Dumenko came up with a way to fill the Lavra
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: OCU
The OCU Synod, at the suggestion of Serhiy Dumenko, solved the problem of the lack of monks in the "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of the OCU" in one fell swoop. They transferred the entire community there from the Theodosius Monastery, located across the road. In fact, the Theodosius Monastery was liquidated, and they will now "develop female monasticism" there.
Recently, the OCU has had notable successes in the Lavra. The Ministry of Culture handed over the Near Caves to them, as well as the Exaltation of the Cross and Warm Сhurches. But there is one very significant problem: despite the status of the main shrine of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, the OCU has not been able to gather even a dozen monks there. Just a couple of months ago, there were only 6 people there (the UOC has 150). Moreover, all of them were in the Lavra as staff employees of the reserve. In 2025, Dumenko tried to send monks there from the regions, but in vain.
Now their number will increase, though hardly by much. The fact is that in the three OCU monasteries in Kyiv (St. Michael's, Vydubychi, St. Theodosius's), there are only about 50 monks in total. How many of them were in the Theodosius Monastery is difficult to say, because in most of its cells lived clergy with families. The last tonsure was 7 years ago. It's unlikely that Dumenko will start transferring families to the Lavra - that would be too much even for the OCU.
As the next step, we expect the relocation of the Vydubychi and St. Michael's Monasteries to the Lavra.
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