For the first time since the Second World War, the Lavra was damaged in an attack on January 24 – photo

As a result of the Russian massive attack on the night of January 24, 2026 year, the facilities of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were damaged. About this reported at the Ministry of Culture.

The entrance to the Far Caves complex and the Church of the Annunciation were damaged. Windows and doors were smashed, and plaster crumbled and cracks appeared on the facades. Door and window fittings were also damaged.

"The last time destruction as a result of military operations on the territory of the Lavra was recorded during the Second World War. The fact that this year the Shrine celebrates its 975th anniversary makes this crime especially cynical," said Maksym Ostapenko, Director General of the Kyiv Cave Monastery National Reserve.

Minister of Culture Tetyana Berezhna noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 1640 cultural heritage sites and 2446 cultural infrastructure facilities have been damaged. She added that all damage is being recorded for further examination and restoration work.

• During the of the Russian attack on the night of June 10, 2025, St. Sophia Cathedral was damaged.
• The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience called the attack on St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv an act of Russian state vandalism and a crime against world culture, and the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations called russians as modern barbarians.