The Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has contacted the police with a report of a criminal offense in connection with a cooking show in the Refectory Church of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. This was announced by lawyer Nikita Chekman, representing the interests of the UOC.
"Today, representatives of the Lavra notified about the commission of a criminal offense - about deliberate actions committed by an organized group of persons and aimed at inciting religious hostility and hatred, insulting the feelings of citizens in connection with their religious beliefs," Chekman wrote in his Telegram channel.
According to him, on December 14, restaurateur Yevgeny Klopotenko posted on social networks a video of a cooking show that was filmed by him and his producer in the Refectory Church of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. According to the UOC, Klopotenko and the film crew committed an outrage against the shrine and offended the feelings of believers. "By filming and publicly demonstrating a cooking show in a prayer temple, Klopotenko violates and neglects established church canons, religious traditions and rules in society, shows disrespect for the religious community and its values, which causes offense to believers in connection with their religious beliefs," the lawyer noted.
Chekman also said that Maxim Ostapenko, Director General of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, said he sincerely regretted that this event caused a misunderstanding and could hurt the feelings of believers.
The lawyer of the UOC expressed hope that law enforcement agencies would respond quickly to the appeal.
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The Ukrainian authorities have consistently ousted the UOC from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. In March 2023, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra Museum-Reserve terminated the lease agreement with the canonical church. In early July, the commission of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine came to the lavra, changed the locks and sealed the buildings. In August last year, the court recognized the termination of the lease and the claims of the authorities to the monastery's property as legitimate. After that, the entrance to the Lower Lavra was closed to visitors and students and staff of the Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary were forbidden to stay on the territory of the lavra. The so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU) has begun holding festive services in the main church of the Lavra - the Assumption Cathedral.
President Petro Poroshenko began to pursue a policy of ousting and banning the UOC. Under him, in December 2018, a schismatic PCU was created from two schismatic organizations with the support of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Since then, with the encouragement of the authorities, schismatics have forcibly seized churches of the UOC, attacked priests, local authorities have deprived the canonical church of the right to lease land for temples, special services have brought charges of treason and other crimes against priests of the UOC, and imposed sanctions. On September 23, a law banning the canonical church came into force in Ukraine
According to TASS materials