Is it true that the relics of the saints from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra agreed to be transferred to the museums of Europe?

At the end of June 2023, the head of the foreign intelligence service of the Russian Federation announced the sensational agreement between Ukraine and UNESCO. We checked whether these data correspond to reality.

On June 26, the press service of the foreign intelligence service (SVR) of Russia distributed statement Director of the department Sergey Naryshkin. He argued that between the Ukrainian authorities and representatives of UNESCO, an agreement was reached on the export of Orthodox values ​​from the territory of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and transfer them to museums in Italy, France, Germany and the Vatican under the pretext of salvation from Russian missile strikes. First of all, it was about the relics of saints resting on the territory of the monastery complex. According to Naryshkin, at that time an inventory of church property has already been carried out, financial resources for the transport of goods to Europe were allocated, and even cars with refrigerated installations have been prepared.

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

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, imperishable relics of more than 120 saints rest, including, for example, the alleged author "Tales of temporary years»Nestor Chronicle and Rev. Ilya Muromets, prototype of the famous epic hero. In the lower laurel, where these caves are located, there is a valid monastery, and a historical and cultural reserve is working on the territory of the Upper Lavra, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.

In 1988, when worships resumed in the laurel, part of its structures Passed Understanding the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. Gradually, the territory controlled by the Ukrainian part of the Russian Orthodox Church (subsequently renamed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) expanded, and in 2013, under President Viktor Yanukovych, the government signed the act of transferring 79 buildings and structures of Lavra for free use of the UOC.

With the beginning of the full -scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the situation around the religious complex has aggravated. In December 2022, the authorities Not extended The UOC rental of the Assumption Cathedral and the refectory of the church, and on January 5, 2023, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine after the inventory of property officially Returned These two buildings are for use of the state. March 10, the leadership of the Monastery of the Lower Lavra was warned on the termination of the 2013 agreement, as a result of which all the priests of the UOC and the brethren had to free the territory until March 29 or Go Under the wing of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU) supported by the state. This decision caused a sharp resistance of the monks, and at the time of writing this analysis, some of them are still They were On the territory of the monastery, despite the repeated warning, this time already from the leadership of the historical and cultural reserve. Meanwhile, the specialized commission of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture on June 5 completed its work and signed The corresponding act: 79 religious objects ten years later returned to the state.

After three weeks later, the Russian media spread the statement of Sergei Naryshkin, the reaction of the Ukrainian side followed immediately. In particular, the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Alexander Tkachenko wrote in his Facebook: “The only task that is facing us in connection with Lavra is to protect it from the“ Russian world ”and finally make sure that all our Ukrainian holy relics are on the spot. No sacred value will leave the territory of Ukraine. And everything stolen by Russia should be returned. ”

In a similar way Specked And the director of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve Maxim Ostapenko: “The reserve did not have such plans. Ukrainian attractions will be stored in Ukraine, and our state will do everything so that these attractions are protected, including from Russian aggressors. ”

As for UNESCO, on the official website of the organization “verified”, there was also no information about the prepaid transmission or transportation of relics from the laurel. In early 2023 UNESCO Conducted transportation to Kyiv of a special scanner donated by the Austrian government, which will help digitize Extensive archives of the monastery complex. Also organization declared about the material support of the restoration of the Lavra, which Enters In the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. When the presenters Russian Media They turned to the organization for confirmation of information from the SVR, Tom Mallar’s ​​spokeswoman replied that UNESCO himself was not engaged in any evacuation, so he could not answer such a question in principle.

Does the Ukrainian authorities or UNESCO have a reason to hide the truth? Firstly, there is no point in a refutation in a situation where an agreement, if it was achieved, will still be realized, and it will be difficult to keep everything secret for a long time, given the many involved persons and countries. The exposure of lies, in turn, is fraught with reputation risks. Secondly, the very motivation to conceal something in the situations described by Naryshkin is doubtful, because the safety of relics is the reason more than good 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 SVR of the Russian Federation does not provide any evidence of the agreements reached between Ukraine and UNESCO. There is no more or less significant details in his statement that could at least indirectly confirm. In particular, the Primate of the UOC Onufry mentioned by Naryshkin, allegedly informed of the need to take the shrine from Ukraine, did not respond nowhere to a similar ultimatum. At the same time, it cannot be said that he leads a recluse lifestyle - issues related to the confrontation of the UOC and PCU, regularly become the topic of its comments for the press Or the reason for decisions in the framework of church jurisdiction. It would be natural to expect an open statement from Onufry this time, if he really had reasons for concern.

Thus, neither Ukraine nor UNESCO confirm information about the transfer of relics of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to European museums. In 2023, this is not the first time that inaccurate information regarding the complex is distributed by large Russian media. So, in March they ReportedThat the crosses on the refectory church were supposedly blackened after the first PCU services held there.

Photo on the cover: Wikimedia Commons

Not true

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