“Under Lenin’s decree”: believers “finalize” the seal on Lavra building

"Improved" seal of the reserve on one of the seized buildings of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: screenshot of the video of the Pershy Kozatsky Telegram channel

The parishioners of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra “improved” the text on the seal on one of the buildings of the monastery: after the words “sealed by the National Reserve”, an ironic postscript “under Lenin’s decree” appeared, and in response to a warning about “criminal liability for illegal entry”, believers, hinting at the illegal seizure of buildings by the reserve, asked when this responsibility would come.

The “modified” seal was included in the video published by the Pershy Kozatsky Telegram channel.

The video also recorded how the reserve's employees, under police protection, settled in the sealed-off premises of the Lower Lavra. At the same time, they evade answering questions from believers about the legality of their actions.

As the UOJ reported, on July 6, 2023, the reserve commission, with the strong support of the police, seized and sealed three buildings of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, including the residence of the Primate of the UOC. On July 11, two more buildings were sealed.

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