Work ongoing to eradicate illegitimate rule of Russian church in Ukraine - Culture Minister

That’s according to Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkacnehko, who spoke at the national telethon, commenting on the ongoing inspection of the Pochaiv Lavra, Ukrinform reports.

"We have set up teams to check the use of objects both in the Pechersk Lavra and the Chernihiv Reserve, where lease contracts for the use of certain reserve objects have already been suspended. But each case is individual. For example, in Chernihiv, we are in a civilized dialogue with representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and in Pochaiv the work has only just begun. The situation is different there, compared to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra because there is the Kreminets Reserve, there is the Pochaiv Lavra, and there is a relationship between them. The term of the contract for the use of the Kreminets Reserve has expired. We also have a case in a local court as to why we are not allowed to enter this temple, but that is an ongoing process. We have started quite elegant work on the eradication of the illegitimate rule of the Russian Church in Ukraine that has lasted for over 300 years," Tkachenko emphasized.

As reported by Ukrinform, on April 7, the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy recommended that the Parliament adopt a draft resolution to appeal to the Cabinet with a proposal to terminate the lease contract concluded with the UOC MP for the use of the Pochaiv Assumption Lavra premises.