The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Lukas Alsis, visited the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” during his visit to Kyiv. The head of the department was met by the Director General of the National Reserve, Maksym Ostapenko. Lukas Alsis was introduced to the history and monuments of the Upper Lavra, and was also told about the work of the National Reserve during the full-scale war.
One of the highlights of the visit was the Assumption Cathedral. Lucas Alsis saw the aftermath of the Russian attack on the night of June 15 and inspected the church, which lost over 80% of its roof as a result of a Russian drone strike. In total, 19 objects were damaged in the territory of the National Reserve.
Maksym Ostapenko told the minister about the priority emergency work carried out after the impact and further steps to save the shrine. Currently, the National Reserve is preparing for the conservation of the Assumption Cathedral. Specialists have already examined the monument and determined the priority scope of work and funding.
A separate topic of the meeting was the figure of Prince Konstantin Ostrohsky – the great hetman of Lithuania, commander and patron of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery. According to his will, he was buried in the Assumption Cathedral. In 1579, a majestic tombstone was erected over his burial place, which was destroyed together with the cathedral on November 3, 1941.
Lukas Alsis was shown the recreated tombstone of the prince. Work on it became a joint Ukrainian-Lithuanian project, which began in 2015. The first stage of the recreated monument was opened on August 24, 2021, with the participation of the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda.
The story of Kostiantyn Ostrozky is a reminder of how closely Ukraine and Lithuania have been linked for centuries. Today, this shared heritage once again needs protection — from Russian attacks that threaten Ukrainian monuments of world importance.
In memory of his visit to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Maksym Ostapenko presented Lucas Alsis with a large illustrated publication about the history of the Assumption Cathedral.
