Prosecutors Seeking To Return Pochaiv Lavra Complex To State Ownership

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Lesia Huretska, head of the information policy department at the Ternopil Regional Prosecutor's Office, told an Ukrinform correspondent.

“The defendant in the case is the religious organization of the Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra, while the Kremenets-Pochaiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve, which manages the state property, is a third party supporting the plaintiff. The grounds for early termination of the 50-year agreement are gross violations by the religious organization of the terms of use and heritage protection legislation,” Huretska said.

She added that inspections had documented unauthorized alterations and extensions to architectural structures, including the removal of interior walls in monastic cells and the bishop's residence, the creation of new passageways, unapproved facade and finishing works, and the application of new murals without approval from the Ministry of Culture.

Since these actions threaten to destroy the site and compromise its authenticity as a national heritage landmark, and the protection of cultural heritage is a state responsibility, the prosecutor's office is seeking to return the property to state use and halt the unauthorized works.

The lawsuit was filed on November 2, 2026. The Commercial Court has opened proceedings in the case.

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As Ukrinform reported, a commission from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy found a number of violations during an inspection of the preservation of state property at the Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra in the Ternopil region, which is being used free of charge by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).

On July 22, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) published the findings of an investigation into indications that the Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra is affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, a foreign religious organization whose activities are banned in Ukraine.

On July 27, the DESS issued the Pochaiv Lavra monastery with an order to sever its ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, which is banned in Ukraine, within 30 days.

Following a request from the Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra, the DESS extended by 60 days the deadline for complying with the order to remedy violations of legislation on freedom of conscience and religious organizations.

The Pochaiv Lavra was thus granted an additional 60 days to sever its ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.

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