Military representatives of NATO countries visited the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, where they saw the consequences of the Russian shelling of the Assumption Cathedral. The delegation included 40 participants, including the Director General of the NATO International Military Staff, Lieutenant General Remigijus Baltrenas. Guests from 22 countries arrived at the Lavra. Most of them are generals and admirals who represent the chiefs of general staff of their countries in the NATO Military Committee. They were joined by the heads of the International Military Staff structures and employees of the NATO Delegation to Ukraine. During the sightseeing tour, the delegation walked through the territory of the Upper Lavra and stopped near the Assumption Cathedral. Here, the guests viewed the site of the Russian drone strike and a tablet exhibition dedicated to the destruction and restoration of the Great Pechersk Church. They were also among the first to see the Trinity Gate Church after the restoration scaffolding was removed. For the delegation, a representative of the “Cultural Forces” performed a cappella the Ukrainian hymn “God is Great, the Only One.” This visit gave the guests the opportunity to see with their own eyes how Russian aggression threatens Ukrainian cultural heritage. In the Lavra, damaged monuments are adjacent to restored ones – this is due to the daily work of specialists who preserve them despite the war.
