By Striking the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Russia Shows That It Is Not Rus’, and Kyiv Is Not Russian Territory, Says Head of the UGCC
Indeed, when the Lord God intends to punish someone, He deprives that person of sound judgement. By this attack, the Russian aggressor has shown that Russia is not Rus’; Kyiv is not Russian territory; and the history of the Kyiv-Pechersk tradition of holiness is not the history of Moscow’s piety.
As a result of a Russian attack on Kyiv on the night of June 15, 2026, the Cathedral of the Dormition at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra caught fire. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, spoke about this on June 16 at the Mykhailo Drahomanov National University of Ukraine during the ceremony in which he was awarded the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa.
“We are all still overwhelmed by these emotions, by the shock felt throughout the cultural world following Sunday’s Russian drone strike and the fire at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The whole world has condemned the attack as yet another crime against humanity,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
He drew attention to one historical detail: “This Sunday we celebrated the Feast of All Saints of the Ukrainian People, all the ascetics of the Kyiv Church, from our baptizers Volodymyr and Olha, the saints of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, all the way to the heroes of the Christian faith of our day. Interestingly, on this very same day, the Moscow Church celebrated the feast of ‘All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land.’ How ironic—on this very day, a barbaric hand launched a fiery attack on the church consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. With this act, they have forever cut themselves off from Kyiv Christianity.”
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Statement of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations regarding the Russian strike on the Kyiv pechersk lavra
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations issued a statement regarding the Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which took place during a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv on the night of June 15. As a result of the shelling, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was damaged, and a fire broke out on the roof of the Assumption Cathedral, covering an area of nearly 800 square meters.
The UGCC Department for Information
