Monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate still live on the grounds of the Lower Lavra. This was reported by Maxim Ostapenko, the general director of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra,” in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
He explained that it is currently impossible to evict the UOC-MP monks, as an appeal process is ongoing in court regarding the legality of their use of the Lavra’s buildings.
“They live in cells and use part of the churches for prayers. As of today, pending the court’s decision, about 140 representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate community remain on the Lower Territory. They continue to reside there, and the entire Ukrainian public and the preserve are awaiting the court’s decision, which will determine the legality of their use of these state-owned buildings,”
Legal Status of the Monastery and Its Residents
According to Ostapenko, back in the 2000s, the registration service inexplicably registered about 70 monks on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. This has led some of them to now claim that the Lavra is their private residence, complicating the eviction process and prolonging court proceedings.
“And now they are claiming that the Lavra belongs to them as private property, which is one of the reasons for the delays in the court cases,” added Maxim Ostapenko.