Russian strikes damaged Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ukraine says the attack targets not only the country, but global cultural heritage.

The Russian shelling of Kyiv on January 24 damaged sites of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. In particular, the entrance to the cave complex and the Church of the Conception of St. Anne were affected, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna said on Monday, January 26. This was reported by Zaxid.net.

The massive Russian attack on the night of January 24 damaged the entrance to the Far Caves complex. The facade of the Church of the Conception of St. Anne was also affected.

“This is the first time damage from military actions on the territory of the Lavra has been recorded since World War II,” the minister said.

Police and reserve specialists worked at the site. On January 26, a detailed technical inspection of the damaged sites will take place at the Lavra – they will be secured and restoration work will begin.

“This year, the Lavra marks its 975th anniversary. And it is precisely now that Russian missiles are striking it. The world must know: this is not only a war against Ukraine. It is a war against global culture,” Tetiana Berezhna emphasized.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was founded in 1051. During the occupation of Kyiv in 1941–1943, 32 buildings on its territory were partially or completely destroyed. In particular, the Dormition Cathedral was destroyed in 1941, and in 1941–1942 the German occupation authorities removed a large number of valuable artifacts.

Until 2023, the Lavra was used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). Until early April, a commission of the Ministry of Culture conducted work on the transfer of 79 Lavra buildings that had been used free of charge by UOC-MP monks. The commission’s work was repeatedly obstructed both by clergy led by Metropolitan Pavlo Lebid and by UOC-MP believers. On June 5, 2023, the commission completed inspections of the buildings on the Lavra’s territory and ordered the UOC-MP to vacate the premises.

In 1994 and 2023, together with Saint Sophia Cathedral, the complex was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It should be noted that in June 2025, Saint Sophia Cathedral was also damaged by a Russian attack, with shelling affecting the cathedral’s main apse.