Social media reveals who attends OCU services at Kyiv Caves Lavra

Reserve staff at the Lavra. Photo: Fortetsia Lavra

“Services” of the OCU at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra are attended by employees of the local reserve posing as parishioners. Corresponding photos, showing that three out of the fifteen people present at the OCU “service” in the Refectory Church on May 23, 2026, were wearing staff badges, were published by the Fortetsia Lavra Telegram channel.

“Reserve employees receiving state salaries are acting as parishioners at a ‘service’ conducted by other reserve employees (also paid from the state budget), who work for the Ministry of Culture in the role of the ‘brotherhood of the OCU monastery.’ Truly a Disneyland,” the channel’s authors wrote.

Whether these individuals attended the service on instructions from reserve management or simply decided to pray during working hours of their own accord remains unknown. The women wearing badges were dressed in trousers.

The authors suggested that after publication of the photos, staff members would likely be instructed to hide their badges. They also drew attention to the very small number of people present in the church – fifteen individuals on a weekend.

“Of course, ‘numbers don’t matter.’ Especially when the numbers are always minimal and don’t work in your favor. But once more than ten buses of ‘pilgrims’ are brought in, then it becomes possible to say: ‘So many people from different parts of Ukraine.’ Meanwhile, when only staff members and a couple of other people are standing at the liturgy on a weekend – yes, numbers suddenly don’t matter,” the Fortetsia Lavra channel wrote ironically.

According to the authors, these photographs return attention to painful questions: for whom did the OCU and the authorities seize the Lavra?

“For ten monks and ten parishioners? Who is going to care for this enormous monastic complex?” the publication states.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that buses had been used to bring “parishioners” to the Lavra for the name day celebration of Epifaniy Dumenko.

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