Reserve head: Pochaiv Transfiguration Cathedral is a monster, it spoils everything

The Transfiguration Cathedral of the Pochaiv Lavra. Photo: Wikipedia

The director of the Kremenets-Pochaiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve Vasyl Ilchyshyn called the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Pochaev Lavra a "monster," stating that it spoils the appearance of the monastery, reports hromadske.

"It is altogether illegal, let's start with that — it was built illegally from start to finish. There is only a preliminary approval, but we have never seen a full construction permit. It spoils the overall picture. There is a dominant structure — the Dormition Cathedral. Even the Trinity Cathedral built nearby has already damaged the complex; it does not fit into the architectural ensemble. And now behind it they are building yet another monster, which spoils everything entirely," Ilchyshyn said indignantly.

He also lamented that the Transfiguration Cathedral "pulls the attention" of pilgrims: "Outsiders who come here don't know what is a landmark and what is not. They go straight there (to the Transfiguration Cathedral — Ed.), because it is beautiful, it is shiny, covered in mosaics, enormous."

Earlier, the Pochaiv Lavra stated that the inventory being conducted by the Ministry of Culture commission is unlawful, and that part of the church property was never transferred to the monastery by the state. The monastery emphasized that the state "built nothing" on the territory of the Lavra, and described what is happening as "hybrid alienation and confiscation."

As the UOJ reported, on July 27, 2026, DESS issued the Pochaiv Lavra a directive to confirm within 30 days that it had severed ties with the ROC and withdrawn from the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC. If the order is not complied with, the agency intends to file a lawsuit seeking to terminate the monastery’s activities. In addition, the Ministry of Culture and the Prosecutor’s Office are preparing documents to terminate the lease agreement for the Lavra’s buildings, which was concluded for 49 years, until 2052.

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