The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra generated at least tens of millions of hryvnias in revenue per year for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
This was reported by Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, in an interview with LIGA.net.
"We know of many benefactors who donated to the monastery and say to the UOC-MP, 'We have rebuilt for you.' No, dear sirs, you have not rebuilt it. People who donated their funds have rebuilt it," explains the minister.
According to Tkachenko, it is still necessary to determine where the donations to the Lavra were allocated - whether towards the preservation of historical heritage or towards luxury items such as a Mercedes.
On March 10, 2023, the Ministry of Culture called on the Holy Dormition Monastery of the UOC-MP to vacate the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by March 29. The Moscow Patriarchate stated that they consider this an "ultimatum," do not see any legal justification for it, and have no intention of complying.
On March 31, the commission twice failed to begin work at the Lavra due to obstruction by the UOC-MP. The keys provided by the monastery representatives did not fit the core of the building's lock