Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra parishioners blocking state commission's work for second day in row

MOSCOW. March 31 (Interfax) - The second day of work of the Ukrainian state commission tasked with accepting and sealing off the buildings in the Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra is proceeding in the same way as the first, with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church congregation blocking the work of representatives of the authorities and preventing them from entering any of the churches.

Ukrainian Orthodox Church parishioners started gathering in the Lavra from early morning, and some of them even stayed the night there, local media outlets reported. As a result, at 10 a.m., when the commission entered the monastery, it was met by a large crowd of parishioners of the canonical church.

Provocateurs trying to spark conflicts with the defenders of the monastery and singing songs about Ukraine were among the visitors to the Lavra on Friday. Like the previous day, the police do not interfere in the events.

On March 29, Ukraine unilaterally terminated the lease agreement for the buildings of the Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The church filed a lawsuit with the Commercial Court of Kiev seeking to recognize the decision as unlawful. At the same time, a motion was filed to ensure the security of the claim, in order to avoid the eviction of the monks and the use of the monastery by other religious organizations for the duration of the trial, but the court dismissed it. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has also appealed this decision.