Sacred relics and religious treasures at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra were preserved thanks to an emergency evacuation carried out immediately after a Russian strike on the monastery complex.
Bishop Avraamiy, the Lavra's abbot, reported this on Facebook, as cited by Ukrinform.
According to Avraamiy, clergy and staff prioritized the evacuation of relics, liturgical items, ancient icons and other artifacts of religious, national and universal cultural significance.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the monastery's brotherhood, emergency responders and firefighting crews, the threat to people was minimized and the shrine's most valuable items were saved, he said. Work to eliminate the consequences of the attack and assess the damage is ongoing.
"Today, we can officially report that the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which is not only a national shrine of the Ukrainian people but also a world-renowned cultural and religious monument, was among the sites affected by this large-scale attack," Avraamiy said.
