Rada Committee to consider change of leadership in Kyiv Cave Monastery and St. Sophia of Kyiv
27 May 2025 22:05
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy is planning to hold a separate meeting on the situation in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and St. Sophia of Kyiv national reserves. This is reported on the website of the parliamentary committee, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
During the previous meeting, the deputies discussed the functioning of these cultural institutions and personnel changes in their management. In particular, attention was paid to the high-profile events surrounding the change of leadership at the Kyiv Cave Monastery and the dismissal of the director general of the Sophia of Kyiv Reserve, Nelia Kukovalska.
“Given the sensitivity of the topic and its importance for society, the committee members consider it necessary to hold a separate meeting to analyze the situation in depth. This will allow us to comprehensively consider all the circumstances and develop balanced decisions,” the committee said in a statement.
The meeting is scheduled to be held in the near future. The date and format of the discussion will be announced later.
Personnel changes in national reserves are accompanied by accusations of pressure from the Ministry of Culture
The former director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve , Maksym Ostapenko, announced his unexpected dismissal. According to him, he received an order to resign from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine without any explanation, warning, or official comments on his work.
Ostapenko also spoke about the pressure that the staff of the monastery has recently experienced, hinting at a behind-the-scenes struggle for control of the monastery. He attributed his dismissal to his public position on the need to clear the shrine of Russian imperial narratives.
Similar statements about pressure came from the National Conservation Area “St. Sophia of Kyiv”. The staff of the institution reported a series of inspections by the Ministry of Culture, which they consider groundless, as well as the suspension of the director general, Nelia Kukovalska. The employees appealed to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to intervene and support the current director.
The reaction of well-known media professionals also resonated with the public. In particular, journalist Vitaliy Gaidukevych, commenting on Ostapenko’s dismissal, called the situation a manifestation of “internal evil,” which, in his opinion, is more dangerous than an external threat.
