The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy reported that the lease agreements of the Dormition Cathedral and the Refectory Church between the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) were not extended due to the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) dated December 1, 2022.
This is stated in the response of the Ministry of Culture to the information request.
"[...] At the same time, by paragraph 5, point 1 of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated December 1, 2022 "On certain aspects of the activity of religious organizations in Ukraine and the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)" enacted by the decree of the President of Ukraine dated December 1, 2022 No. 820/2022, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is instructed to: ensure, within a two-month period, verification of the existence of legal grounds and compliance with the conditions of use by religious organizations of property located on the territory of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve," stated in the ministry's response.
In the letter of the Ministry of Culture, it was specified that the validity period of the lease agreements for temporary free use of the buildings of the Dormition Cathedral (agreement No. 1-b of June 17, 2016) and the Refectory Church (agreement No. 2-b of June 17, 2016) by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church ended on December 31, 2022.
"Also, according to the information provided by the Reserve (National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra) in the letter dated December 29, 2022 No. 04-22/597, until the conclusion of the inspection provided for by the Decision (NSDC), the validity of the agreements will not be extended. In the future, the issue of the use of the property, which is on the Reserve's balance sheet, will be resolved in accordance with the procedure established by the law," the ministry said in its response.
It will be recalled that on December 25, 2022, the vicar of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP), Metropolitan Pavlo, announced that the state reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra refused to extend the lease agreement of religious buildings with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate for the year 2023.
On January 3, the Dormition Cathedral and the Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra were closed due to the eviction of the UOC MP.
On December 3, 2022, the Ministry of Culture recommended not to extend the lease of 2 churches of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra with the UOC (MP).
On December 2, 2022, the press service of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine reported that the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was officially registered as a monastery within the OCU.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Christmas worship of the head of the OCU, Metropolitan Epiphanius, was held in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine decided that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate should change its name and indicate its affiliation with Russia.
In turn, the UOC MP said that it would not change its name after the decision of the Constitutional Court.
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