Ministry of Culture commits Museum of History to pursue in court Tithes Monastery

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine obliged the National History Museum of Ukraine (NHMU) via the court to vacate the territory where Tithes Monastery is located. The respective document is placed on the site of the Ministry of Culture.

"It was decided to take immediate measures to remove obstacles to the use of the land plot granted to the National History Museum of Ukraine for permanent use for the operation and maintenance of the museum's buildings located at 2 Vladimirskaya St. in Shevchenkivskyi district of Kiev, in particular, through the presentation of appropriate lawsuits,” the Ministry of Culture said. “Illegal buildings – a small architectural form – is located on the land of particularly valuable territories and leads to damage to cultural heritage sites – monuments of national importance on the territory to be protected within the UNESCO World Heritage "Kiev: St. Sophia Cathedral and adjoining monastic buildings, Kiev- Pechersk Lavra " the city of Vladimir – the progeny of ancient Kiev with the foundation of the Assumption church (the church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin) of V-IX century".

According to the document, the Ministry itself undertook to help the museum in every possible way to win the court and remove Desyatinny Monastery, called by the Ministry of Culture as "SAF" (small architectural form – Ed.), from the territory owned by NHMU.

The head of the UOC's Law Department, Protopriest Alexander Bakhov, stated that Desyatinny Monastery is located legally in the aforesaid territory. "To date the ownership of the chapel is registered in the roster of property rights to real estate in favor of the religious community of the UOC Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos,” said the head of the Law Department. “It clearly indicates where this temple is located and how it is called. The basis was a court decision of 2012. In particular, the decision of the court prescribes those circumstances that have become the linchpin for the right of possession. At present they are valid, they have not been canceled by anyone and the alleged unlawfulness of the construction does not correspond to reality."