The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UPC MP) continues to hold services in the churches of the Kyiv-Pyachorskaya Lavra, despite the expiration of the period of free rent of the religious and historical monument.

Last week and at the beginning of this week, some representatives of the clergy removed their property from the territory of the Kiev-Pyachora Lavra - icons, household appliances and other property that they consider their own.

The police check the cars leaving the laurel.

March 16, 2023

On the morning of March 29, the police began to be on duty near the laurel.

Its employees checked all cars leaving the territory of the reserve.

The speaker of the UOC MP

said that their monks will not leave the Kiev-Pechora Lavra.

"There can be no eviction on the 29th, 30th, 31st or at any other time, because there are no legal grounds," he said.

Priests and believers of the UOC MP leave the laurel.

March 29, 2023

As reported by the Ukrainian service of Radio Svaboda, the number of worshipers has decreased on the territory of the Lavra.

According to journalists, several hundred people gathered for the morning service.

Journalists also noticed that its abbot, Metropolitan

, left Kyiv-Pyachora Lavra in a Mercedes-Benz car .

On March 13, it became known that the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine informed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church about the termination of the contract on the free use of the Kiev-Pechora Lavra from March 29.

The basis for this decision was the recorded violations of the conditions of use of state property.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church called the ministry's warning letter an "ultimatum" and compared it to the actions of the Soviet authorities.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate used the Kiev-Pechora Lavra on a perpetual lease basis.

Previously, such contracts were signed for a certain period, but during the presidency of

, the regulatory framework was changed, which allowed signing lease contracts for temples for an unlimited period.

All historical laurels of Ukraine, including Kiev-Pechorskaya, are state property.​

On December 2, 2022, the President of Ukraine,

, signed a decree on the implementation of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council, which prohibits the activities of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in Russia.

The only religious organization connected with the Russian Orthodox Church is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is headed by Metropolitan

.

Last May, at the meeting of the Synod of this church, the mention of the Moscow Patriarchate was removed from the charter.

But in society it is still called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.​

From the end of November 2022, investigators of the Security Service and the National Police of Ukraine conducted searches in the dioceses of the UOC MP.

According to their results, several priests were accused of justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine.

of Simferopol and Crimea from its membership

.

In January 2023, Zelensky stripped him of his Ukrainian citizenship for supporting Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

After the Synod, priests of the UOC MP went to the Office of the President of Ukraine on Bankova Street with a demand for an urgent meeting with Uladzimir Zelenskyi.

The UOC MP is convinced that Zelensky is receiving false information about the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The priests tried to achieve a review of the decision of the authorities to terminate the agreement on the lease of the objects of the Kyiv-Pyachorskaya Lavra from March 29.​