Campaign to kick out the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) from Kyiv Pechersk Lavra initialized
July 10, 2016. An ex – head of the department for drug-related crime prevention, National police of Ukraine, Ilya Kiva plans to initiate the creation of a movement for transmission of Pechersk Lavra from the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), as Observer reports.
The corresponding entry was published on his page on Facebook on July 10.
“Today when I was coming out of the church I felt the urge to free Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra from Moscow FSB agents in cassocks who captured and raped the monastery and to return the shrine to Ukrainians. I am sure that with the release and return of Lavra the revival and liberation of Ukrainian land will begin,” – writes Kiva.
“I will initiate the creation of a civil movement to return the shrine to Ukraine. Join me!”, – he added.
According to the “Observer“, the church historian Arsen Zinchenko explained why Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra should belong to Ukraine. He believes that Kyiv – Pechersk Lavra, as well as other Orthodox shrines of Ukraine should be “in the bowels of the Ukrainian Church.”
Responding to the question of “Observer” on what might be the fate of Kyiv – Pechersk Lavra after autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the expert said: “It is an ancient Ukrainian shrine – just like Pochayiv Lavra and it shall be in the depths of the Ukrainian Church.”