Court Suspends Proceedings in Lower Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Case

KYIV — As reported by UOJ-Ukraine, the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal has suspended proceedings in the ongoing legal dispute over the use of the Lower Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, granting a motion filed by the monastery pending the resolution of a related case in a lower court.

This follows news that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has filed a lawsuit against the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, seeking to invalidate the legal framework that established the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, the government agency that has spearheaded efforts against the Church in recent years.

According to Archpriest Nikita Chekman, legal counsel for the monastery, the appellate court issued its decision following a hearing on June 25, 2026. The proceedings began in the afternoon and concluded with the court agreeing to halt further consideration of the case until the court of first instance reaches a decision in a related matter. Chekman expressed gratitude for the ruling in a statement published on his Telegram channel.

The suspension represents a procedural victory for the monastic community, which has been engaged in a prolonged legal battle over its continued use of buildings within the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex. According to the monastery's legal representatives, the brethren remain in residence at the monastery and continue their monastic life and obediences without interruption.

The court's decision comes amid continuing disputes over control of Lavra property. Earlier this month, representatives of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve took possession of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Archpriest Chekman criticized those actions as unlawful, arguing that questions regarding the monastery's right to use Lavra buildings remain under judicial review and should not be acted upon before final court rulings are issued.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Tikhon expressed support for Metr. Onuphry after damage to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.