Will Kyiv Lavra be renamed too after renaming Lavrska Street?
Government officials get very offended when their actions against the UOC are compared to those of the Bolsheviks.
They argue that the Soviets sought to destroy the Church as an institution, while they do not. Instead, they claim to support the Church – but not the "Moscow" one, only the Ukrainian one.
Let’s set aside the dancing and shows in the Lavra, film screenings in the Chernihiv Cathedral, and so on. Instead, let’s focus on their latest initiative.
Twenty-five members of parliament have demanded that Vitali Klitschko rename Lavrska Street to Mazepa Street.
“Yanukovych has long fled to Russia, the activities of the ROC in Ukraine are banned. Yet the decision imposed by them on the city community is still in effect. This is abnormal and unacceptable,” stated Volodymyr Viatrovych.
To recap, in 2007, Kyiv City Council renamed January Uprising Street to Mazepa Street. However, in 2010, a section of the street (where the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is located) was renamed Lavrska Street. Now, MPs want to reverse this decision.
Their argument is that Mazepa funded the construction of the All Saints Church in the Lavra, as well as the restoration of the Trinity Gate Church, the Dormition Cathedral, and more.
But where’s the logic? Suppose Mazepa was a great benefactor to the Lavra. Why destroy the street named after it, especially since the street practically consists only of the Lavra? What’s more important here – Mazepa or the Lavra? This is like proposing to rename Kyiv to Mazepa. Or better yet – the entire country of Ukraine. Why not? He did so much good for the nation!
On a serious note, this initiative clearly shows that our authorities are not fighting "Moscow priests" but rather the Church of Christ itself. They’ve already allowed the OCU into the Upper Lavra, monks are about to be evicted from the Lower Lavra, and access to the caves and relics of the saints has been closed off to the faithful. Isn’t that a "victory"?
But no, that’s not enough. The street must also be "canceled" so that even the memory of it is erased from the people.
Here’s a suggestion for Viatrovych’s next logical step: rename the Lavra to “Museum Town”. That’s exactly what the Bolsheviks did in their time. Why bother coming up with something new when you’re already following their blueprint to the letter?
