MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. The Ukrainian authorities have been arresting Cossacks guarding the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and students of the theological schools of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), located on the territory of the monastery, the abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel, has said.
"Very unpleasant developments are afoot at the Lavra. They have been arresting students and Cossacks who guard it, they do not let people in and they break the locks," Metropolitan Pavel said in a video published on the Telegram channel of the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
The monastery’s abbot stressed that the Ukrainian authorities’ actions contradicted the promises made by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Alexey Danilov, to the effect that the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra will be transferred to the state in conformity with the law and that the Ukrainian authorities would not use force against the monks of the canonical UOC during the eviction.
"This is very sad and certainly not exactly what one calls a democratic and civilized way. Although we have heard Danilov say that no one will be evicting us," said Metropolitan Pavel.
Police have been illegally searching those who try to catch on their mobiles’ cameras the events underway on the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and threatening them with arrest, the press service of the UOC said on Friday.
The canonical Church also confirmed that a student of the Kiev Theological Seminary had been detained for recording a video of police were breaking into the monastery. The student was later released. The Kiev police on Wednesday detained "for hooliganism" some participants in a demonstration in support of the Lavra’s monks who had allegedly violated public order. Among the detained was human rights activist, UOC parishioner Viktoria Kokhanovskaya, a distinguished campaigner for the rights of the Church throughout the provocations near the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
The Kiev appellate court on Friday ruled to keep under house arrest Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, who is accused in Ukraine of inciting religious hatred and justifying Russia’s actions.
Tensions over the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, one of the first monasteries in Russia and the oldest monastery on the territory of modern Ukraine, escalated in late March. The authorities terminated the lease agreement with the canonical Church and demanded that the monks leave the monastery. The UOC monks refused to fulfill these demands. Both sides took the case to court. UOC supporters have been gathering daily at the monastery to express support for the monks.