Criminal case opened against Lavra reserve for seizing monastery buildings

Buildings of the Lower Lavra. Photo: "Lavra Now" Telegram channel

On June 17, 2026, law enforcement officers opened criminal proceedings over the unlawful actions of officials of the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.” This was reported by Archpriest Nikita Chekman on his Telegram channel.

Police entered information about the offense into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Article 356 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which concerns arbitrariness. The case relates to the seizure of Buildings No. 41 and No. 42, access to which was unlawfully restricted for the brotherhood of the UOC monastery.

According to the investigation, representatives of the reserve, without waiting for final court rulings in the property disputes, resorted to a forcible step and changed the locks in buildings used by the monastery.

Lawyer Nikita Chekman noted that such actions by the reserve administration grossly violate the principle of the rule of law. According to him, officials have no right to resolve legal disputes on their own through unilateral actions, since this falls exclusively within the competence of the court.

Now, as part of the pre-trial investigation, police must identify those responsible and assess the facts of the unauthorized seizure of monastery property. Defense representatives expressed hope for an impartial investigation and the restoration of the rights of the Lavra brotherhood.

As the UOJ reported, reserve employees in the Lavra cut off the locks in two monastery buildings.

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