A PCU cleric criticized a concert at the Lavra blessed by Epiphanius
A PCU "archimandrite" stated that secular concerts near the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra border on open disrespect for the shrine.
On August 31, 2026, PCU "Archimandrite" Sophronius Chuprin criticized the holding of a secular concert near the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. He wrote about this on his Facebook page.
The occasion was the concert "Symphony of the Lavra," which took place on August 30 with the blessing of PCU head Epiphanius Dumenko. The Academic Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine performed in the square in front of the Dormition Cathedral. The concert was dedicated to the 975th anniversary of the founding of the Lavra, the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, and the 100th anniversary of the National Reserve, while the Lavra's bell tower was used during the performance of one of the works.
Chuprin recalled that for nearly a thousand years the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra had been a place of prayer and repentance. "For nearly a thousand years, prayer has resounded in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. People came here seeking silence, repentance, and God," he wrote. According to him, the shrine, "saturated with the repentance, prayers, tears, and toil of the venerable and pious pilgrims," is now increasingly being used for concerts and secular events.
The PCU "archimandrite" emphasized that instead of prayer, music and applause now ring out at the shrine. "Instead of the whisper of prayers, the applause of the crowd and music resound. The contrast borders on outright disrespect for what this shrine has been for generations," Chuprin stated. The organizers announced that the current symphonic concert was already the fourth such event on the territory of the Lavra.
Previously, the UOJ reported that the Zelenskys prayed at an inter-confessional prayer service at St. Sophia of Kyiv.
