Culture Ministry files lawsuit against UOC-MP who obstructed work of commission in Lavra

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy filed a lawsuit against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Moscow Patriarchate due to obstruction of the activity of the commission for the acceptance and transfer of state property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko announced on national television.

The commission was not allowed to enter the premises of the Lavra for the second day in a row, which is why the Ministry of Culture filed reports with the police both yesterday and today. A lawsuit has also been filed in court.

"Today in the afternoon, we filed a lawsuit with the Commercial Court of Kyiv regarding obstruction in the management of state property. Such cases are usually considered in an expedited manner — we hope that the court will make an appropriate decision, and in the future, bailiffs will work," said Tkachenko.

He added: it is unlikely that the lawsuit will take months — most likely, it will be "days".

On March 30, the commission of the Ministry of Culture, which was supposed to begin inventorying the property, was prevented from entering the territory of the Kyiv monastery by unknown persons. One of the priests interfered with the work of the film crew of the public broadcaster Suspilne, pushed their correspondent, and broke the mount on the cameraman's camera.

After the Ministry of Culture filed a report with the police as did the journalists, law enforcement officers opened proceedings.

Today, the commission was again unable to start work in the Lavra due to obstruction from the UOC-MP occupants. The keys handed over by the representatives of the monastery failed to unlock the premises in question.