Kyiv Council Passes Kyiv Cave Monastery into State Ownership

KYIV - The Kyiv City Council passed the Kyiv Cave Monastery Historical and Cultural Reserve into state ownership on a free of charge basis.

A corresponding decision was voted for by 73 members of the city council, while 61 votes were required for approval, UNIAN reports.

The reserve was transferred to the Culture and Tourism Ministry Department.

This question was included in the agenda after being voiced by Kyiv council secretary Oles Dovhyi.

In his words, this question was discussed at the conciliatory council and was supported.

Oleksandr Bryhynets, chairman of the Kyiv council's commission for culture, believes that this decision was made because of a visit of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow Ukraine.

As earlier reported, Kirill's visit is planned for July 20 to 28.

The deputies also separately voted for passing the Church of the Holy Assumption of the monastery to state ownership (to the Culture and Tourism Ministry Department) also on a free basis.

The Kyiv Cave Monastery is on the UNESCO world cultural heritage list.

There are 122 monuments of architecture on the territory of the monastery.