Is it true that they agreed to transfer the relics of saints from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra to museums in Europe?

At the end of June 2023, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service announced a sensational agreement between Ukraine and UNESCO. We have checked whether these data are true.

On June 26, the press service of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of Russia released statement director of the department Sergei Naryshkin. He claimed that an agreement had been reached between the Ukrainian authorities and UNESCO representatives to remove Orthodox valuables from the territory of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and transfer them to museums in Italy, France, Germany and the Vatican under the pretext of saving them from Russian missile attacks. First of all, we were talking about the relics of saints resting on the territory of the monastery complex. According to Naryshkin, at that time an inventory of church property had already been carried out, financial resources had been allocated for transporting goods to Europe, and even cars with refrigeration units had been prepared.

This information was disseminated by leading Russian media: “Channel One", TASS, "RIA Novosti", "News", RBC, "Russian newspaper", Lenta.ru, "Gazeta.ru", RTVI and others. Among others, the Permanent Representative of Russia to UNESCO publicly expressed his indignation Rinat Alyautdinov. Publication by the Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin on this topic on Telegram at the time of writing this analysis received 1.7 million views, and the total audience of the news on the platform, according to the TGStat service, was only on June 26 amounted to more than 14 million people.

Founded in the 11th century Kiev-Pechersk Lavra - one of the oldest Christian monuments on the territory of modern Ukraine. In the caves of the monastery lie the incorruptible relics of more than 120 saints, including, for example, the supposed author of “Tales of Bygone Years» Nestor the Chronicler and the Monk Ilya Muromets, prototype of the famous epic hero. In the Lower Lavra, where these caves are located, there is a functioning monastery, and on the territory of the Upper Lavra there is a historical and cultural reserve, subordinate to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.

In 1988, when worship services resumed in the Lavra, part of its buildings handed over under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. Gradually, the territory controlled by the Ukrainian part of the Russian Orthodox Church (later renamed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) expanded, and in 2013, under President Viktor Yanukovych, the government signed an act of transferring 79 buildings and structures of the Lavra to the free use of the UOC.

With the start of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the situation around the religious complex has worsened. In December 2022 the authorities didn't renew The UOC leased the Assumption Cathedral and the Refectory Church, and on January 5, 2023, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, after an inventory of the property, officially returned these two buildings are for the use of the state. On March 10, the leadership of the Lower Lavra monastery was warned on the termination of the 2013 agreement, as a result of which all priests of the UOC and brethren had to vacate the territory by March 29, or go under the wing of the state-supported Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). This decision caused sharp resistance from the monks, and at the time of writing this analysis, some of them are still were on the territory of the monastery, despite a repeated warning, this time from the leadership of the historical and cultural reserve. Meanwhile, the specialized commission of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture completed its work on June 5 and signed corresponding act: 79 religious sites returned to state control ten years later.

After three weeks later the Russian media disseminated Sergei Naryshkin’s statement, the reaction from the Ukrainian side followed immediately. In particular, the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Alexander Tkachenko wrote in his Facebook: “The only task that faces us in connection with the Lavra is to protect it from the “Russian world” and finally make sure that all our Ukrainian holy relics are in place. Not a single sacred value will leave the territory of Ukraine. And everything stolen by Russia must be returned.”

In a similar vein spoke out and Director of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve Maxim Ostapenko: “The reserve has not had and will not have such plans. Ukrainian landmarks will be kept in Ukraine, and our state will do everything to ensure that these landmarks are protected, including from Russian aggressors.”

As for UNESCO, on the official website of the organization “Verified” also did not find any information about the upcoming transfer or transportation of relics from the monastery. At the beginning of 2023, UNESCO contributed transportation to Kyiv of a special scanner donated by the Austrian government, which will help digitize extensive archives of the monastery complex. Also organization stated on material support for the restoration of the Lavra, which included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. When will the presenters Russian Media contacted the organization for confirmation of information from the Foreign Intelligence Service, press secretary Tom Mallard replied that UNESCO itself does not deal with any evacuation, and therefore cannot answer such a question in principle.

Do the Ukrainian authorities or UNESCO have a reason to hide the truth? Firstly, there is no point in making a denial in a situation where an agreement, if it was reached, will still be implemented, and it will be difficult to keep everything secret for a long time, given the many people and countries involved. Exposing lies, in turn, is fraught with reputational risks. Secondly, the very motivation to hide anything in the situation described by Naryshkin is questionable, because the safety of relics is a more than valid reason for their transfer to authoritative organizations from third countries. Therefore, the statements of both parties to the supposedly concluded agreement look convincing.

It is important to note that the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation does not provide any evidence of the agreements reached between Ukraine and UNESCO. There are no more or less significant details in his statement that could be at least indirectly confirmed. In particular, the Primate of the UOC Onuphry, mentioned by Naryshkin, who was allegedly informed about the need to remove the shrines from Ukraine, never openly responded to such an ultimatum. At the same time, it cannot be said that he leads a reclusive lifestyle - issues related to the confrontation between the UOC and the OCU regularly become his topic comments for the press or a reason for decisions within ecclesiastical jurisdiction. It would be natural to expect an open statement from Onufry this time too, if he really had grounds for concern.

Thus, neither Ukraine nor UNESCO confirms the information about the transfer of relics of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra to European museums. In 2023, this is not the first time that false information regarding the complex has been disseminated by major Russian media. So, in March they reportedthat the crosses on the Refectory Church allegedly turned black after the first OCU services held there.

Cover photo: Wikimedia Commons

Not true

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