Strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra: Frescoes, Paintings, and Iconostasis Are Under Threat
After the Russian attack on Kyiv, there is a threat to the interior decoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, particularly to the paintings, frescoes, and the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral. This was reported by the General Director of the National Reserve "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra," Maksym Ostapenko.
According to him, specialists are currently continuing to inspect the damaged structures. A final assessment of the condition of the iconostasis and the cathedral interiors will only be possible after a detailed analysis of the consequences of the strike and the impact of the fire on the building.
As a result of the Russian shelling, part of the Assumption Cathedral was damaged, as well as the John Kushnik Tower from the 17th–18th centuries. Work to eliminate the consequences of the fire continues on site.
Reserve staff, together with law enforcement officers and monks, promptly evacuated the most valuable relics and exhibits. In particular, an exhibition dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ was removed from the premises, as well as one of the main shrines of the Lavra — the reliquary of Saint Stephen.
The reserve notes that all evacuated exhibits are currently safe.
Following the Russian attack, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was temporarily closed to visitors. This was announced by the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius.
Work continues on the shrine's territory to eliminate the consequences of the shelling and assess the damage caused.
As previously reported, on the night of June 15, during a massive combined Russian attack on Kyiv, a large fire broke out on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. According to the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, the fire was preliminarily caused by a direct hit.
The fire engulfed the roof of the Assumption Cathedral, and according to the State Emergency Service, the fire area reached about 800 square meters. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported significant damage on the shrine's territory.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is under enhanced protection according to the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
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