Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Preserve Orders Monks of Ukrainian Orthodox Church to Leave Territory

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine's National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve said on Friday it had ordered monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate to leave the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, one of the most important Orthodox Christian monasteries, which is located on its territory, by March 29.

"The Reserve warns of the avoidance of the contract on March 29, 2023. In order to conduct the procedure of receiving and transferring the state property, the Monastery must vacate buildings and facilities that are state property and on the balance sheet of the Reserve," a statement read.

Ukraine's inter-institutional working group on religious organizations has allegedly registered a breach of contract on using state property by the Monastery, the Preserve added.

The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is in official free possession of the canonical UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate. After the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022, Ukrainian nationalists have launched regular attacks against churches, clergy and believers of the UOC. In May, the synod of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) announced the creation of a religious organization, to which it wants to transfer one of the Lavra's churches. The UOC accused the OCU of trying to seize the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra by creating a male monastery on its territory. Moreover, in March, the Ukrainian authorities submitted to the country's parliament a bill to ban the UOC in Ukraine, seize its real estate and other property.

The OCU was established on the basis of two schismatic organizations in late 2018. In 2019, the Patriarchate of Constantinople gave the OCU a "tomos of autocephaly" — an ecclesiastical document essentially granting recognition — which resulted in a serious conflict between Constantinople and Moscow. In particular, the Moscow Patriarchate and the UOC broke off Holy Communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople in protest to its actions.

Nevertheless, the OCU is still in fact subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and most of the 15 autocephalous Orthodox churches do not recognize it as canonical.