Yushchenko Instructs Government to Ensure Clearing of Buildings of Hamaliivskyi Monastery

KYIV — Ukraine’s President Yushchenko instructed the government to take steps to ensure the vacation by Penal Colony 66 of the buildings and facilities of the former Hamaliivskyi Harlampii’s Monastery. The president’s decree about this action is posted on the presidential web site. RISU’s Ukrainian-language web site posted this story on January 11, 2009.

In view of the exceptional cultural and historic value of the ensemble of the monuments of the Hamaliivskyi Harlampii’s Monastery located in the village of Hamaliivka of Shostka District of the eastern Ukrainian Sumy Region, the role of its founders in the history of the Ukrainian state development, and to ensure the protection of this outstanding monument of cultural heritage of Ukraine, the president instructed the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to take steps according to the established procedure to ensure the vacation by Shostka Penal Colony 66 of the buildings and facilities of the former monastery. Furthermore, actions will be taken to ensure the further maintenance, use, and development of this object as a monument of the cultural heritage of Ukraine and to elaborate the question of ensuring the rights of religious communities regarding the use of its religious buildings.

Also, according to the final elaboration of the bill of Ukraine “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2010” and preparation of bills on the state budget for the next years, the government is to provide funds necessary to finance the measures connected with the restoration, rehabilitation, repair, and preservation of the monuments of the ensemble of the monastery.

The decree comes into effect from the day of its publication.