Authorities explain why Stolypin’s grave in Lavra will not be demolished

Pyotr Stolypin's grave in the Lavra. Photo: Shutterstock

During a press conference in Kyiv, head of the reserve Maksym Ostapenko commented on the status of Pyotr Stolypin’s grave, located near the walls of the Refectory Church. According to Ostapenko, the issue of transferring the remains or eliminating the memorial was actively discussed back in 2023, but at the time, relatives of the late prime minister living in the West intervened.

“The President of Ukraine was approached, I believe, by Stolypin’s great-grandson, who takes a pro-Ukrainian position, and he presented his arguments asking that Stolypin nevertheless not be touched,” the official said. He clarified that the descendant views his ancestor as “a reformer who tried to change the Russian Empire.”

At present, Ostapenko noted, the authorities are adhering to an “unspoken position” of leaving the burial site untouched until the end of hostilities. “Let us not touch him until the end of the war, because there is a request from people who support Ukraine and European values and are relatives of Stolypin,” the reserve director general summarized.

During the same press conference, the reserve leadership announced a large-scale restoration of the Dormition Cathedral, during which all “Russian narratives” are planned to be removed from the church interior, since the cathedral’s current paintings contain frescoes that ideologically influence Ukrainians.

As the UOJ reported, after his appointment, Ostapenko promised to fight the “Russian World” in the Lavra.

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