Ostapenko says Lavra’s Dormition Cathedral will be restored in two years
The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: Ukrinform
The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is being prepared for conservation work after it was hit by a Russian drone. Maksym Ostapenko, director general of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, spoke about the plans on the Apostrof TV channel.
According to him, temporary structures installed by the State Emergency Service protected the building from precipitation during the summer. The tender procedures have now been completed, and funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture are expected to be used for conservation work in the near future.
While the conservation work is underway, specialists will prepare a restoration project, Ostapenko said. For work during the winter, the Lviv Polytechnic Institute has prepared a damage assessment report detailing the damage and the work required.
According to the Reserve director, about 80% of the roof was destroyed by fire, while the domes and exterior structures were also damaged. The Institute of Building Structures concluded that about 40% of the metal structures that supported the wooden elements of the roof will have to be replaced.
In addition, large amounts of water entered the cathedral during firefighting efforts, and damage to the murals has already been documented.
The Swiss government has allocated funding for the future restoration through UNESCO. Electricity to the cathedral and several other damaged facilities was restored with the assistance of DTEK.
Ostapenko estimates that the full restoration will take about two years, after which, he said, the cathedral will reopen to visitors and worshippers.
As reported by the UOJ, the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra caught fire as a result of a Russian attack on June 15. On August 16, the representative of the Swiss Federal Council for Ukraine, Jacques Gerber, stated that the country will allocate 600,000 Swiss francs for the restoration of the Lavra cathedral.
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