MOSCOW, April 19. /TASS/. Bailiffs may begin evicting monks of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra following the court's ruling, which is due next week, Ukrainian Culture and Information Policy Minister Alexander Tkachenko said on Wednesday.

"Let me remind you that we filed a lawsuit with the Commercial Court of Kiev in regard to the obstruction to the commission’s work," Tkachenko said on Ukrainian television. "As far as I remember, the next court hearing is scheduled for next week. And, accordingly, when a decision in our favor is made - and we are convinced that the truth is on our side, bailiffs will have to get to work."

In early April, Tkachenko announced that Ukrainian authorities intended to start evicting monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra after the court ruling on the lawsuit filed by the Culture Ministry against the UOC. He pointed out that the ministry had filed a lawsuit with Kiev’s Commercial Court "in regard to the obstruction of state property, which is the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Historical and Cultural Reserve." Tkachenko was hopeful that the claim would be expedited. Later, the culture minister said that the court ruling on the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra should be enforced by bailiffs.

The situation around the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra has been escalating since March 30 when the monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church refused to leave the monastery following the order of the directorate of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Historical and Cultural Reserve, which had unilaterally terminated the open-ended lease agreement with the monastery. On April 1, Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of the monastery, was charged with "inciting religious hatred" and "justifying Russia’s actions." He was placed under house arrest for 60 days and banned from communicating with parishioners.