Authorities take European Commission President on Lavra tour

European politicians at the Lavra. Photo: Ministry of Culture

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and a group of European leaders visited the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which was damaged by a Russian strike. The guests were shown the progress of the restoration of the Dormition Cathedral, reports the official website of the OCU.

The visit took place on July 15, 2026, on Ukrainian Statehood Day, when von der Leyen and the leaders of Moldova, Serbia, Romania, and a number of other countries arrived in Kyiv for the "Ukraine – Southeastern Europe" Summit. The tour of the Reserve's grounds was conducted by Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna, First Deputy Ivan Verbytskyi, and Director General of the reserve Maksym Ostapenko; the guests were accompanied by Avraamiy Lotysh. For the first time, the OCU did not refer to him as the "abbot of the Lavra." The European leaders were shown the Dormition Cathedral, a tablet exhibition on the history of the church, and a bust of Ivan Mazepa.

As the UOJ reported, on the night of June 15, 2026, a Russian attack drone struck the dome of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

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