Mandatory Credit: Photo by Mykhaylo Palinchak/SOPA Images/Shutterstock (13854529f)
A woman dressed in black holds religious literature on the territory of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate which has been ordered to vacate the premises of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) by 29 March plan to appeal its eviction, media said. On 31 March, clashes broke out near Kiev Pechersk Lavra between believers and activists who came out to protest. They demanded that a commission of the Culture Ministry be granted access to the territory to inspect one of the buildings. It is known that clerics and parishioners blocked the entrance to the building, thus disrupting the commission's work once again. Protesters have gathered outside Kiev Pechersk Lavra, demanding that clerics of the Moscow Patriarchate leave the territory. Prayers are also being held at the site and the Ukrainian flag has been unfurled.
Protests outside Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, Ukraine - 31 May 2023