Ministry of Culture Commission concluded its work at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

This was announced by the Minister, Oleksandr Tkachenko, according to Glavcom.

"On June 5, the commission of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, responsible for the transfer of state property of the Lavra, completed its work and signed an agreement with the Reserve for the transfer of state property to the National Reserve 'Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra,' confirming the transfer of state property to the Reserve," the statement said.

In total, the commission has inspected and returned 79 objects to the state. They are in various conditions. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has carried out unauthorized reconstruction, construction, and alteration of cultural heritage sites, as well as the construction of new buildings on the territory of the Reserve. We will continue to address all these issues.

Now, after the Reserve has issued a demand to the UOC-MP for immediate eviction, cessation of use, and return of its property, the latter has three working days from the date of receipt to comply. In case of refusal, legal action will be taken to remove obstacles to the Reserve's use of the property.

"Today, representatives of the Monastery refused to accept the Act of Transfer of State Property through the office. The Reserve has sent all documents by mail and in electronic format. This is truly a historic decision and a challenging task, but the Lavra must be Ukrainian, and it is being returned to the state," added Tkachenko.

Earlier, it was reported that unauthorized construction at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra had led to numerous damages to individual monuments of the reserve.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has appointed an acting director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve. Maxim Ostapenko, who previously held the position of director of the National Reserve "Khortytsia" in the Zaporizhzhia region, has been appointed to this position. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy states that Ostapenko is an expert in the fields of monument preservation, museum studies, archaeology, and restoration works. He is the author of over 30 scientific works on the history of Khortytsia Island and the Lower Dnieper region. At the beginning of the full-scale war, Maxim Ostapenko joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.