MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/: The Ukrainian government has decided to ban monks of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church from using some premises at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and is demanding they vacate these premises by July 4, according to a lawyer for the church’s lawyer.
The lawyer, Nikita Chekman, said the Ukrainian Culture Ministry made the restrictions known in a letter, a copy of which he posted on Telegram.
The letter said the government’s entity that runs the monastery decided to terminate the access of the monastery’s monks to some premises and set up a commission to seal up the buildings, which will start work on July 4.
"In this regard, we ask you to vacate the premises and surrender the keys," the letter said.
According to an appendix to the letter, the monks must vacate five buildings of the Lower Lavra, the territory of which is under the jurisdiction of the UOC.
"If the monastery refuses to hand over the keys to the buildings, listed herein, the locks will be replaced and the buildings will be sealed up," the letter said.
Chekman expressed indignation that the Culture Ministry takes such steps without waiting for a court ruling in the matter.
The situation around the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, one of Russia’s first monasteries and the oldest monastery in present-day Ukraine, escalated at the end of March. The government unilaterally terminated the lease agreement with the canonical church and demanded that the monks leave the monastery. The UOC monks refused to comply, and both sides took the matter to court.
