"Building 44 of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is sealed. People are allowed inside only with passports," the Union of Orthodox Journalists said on social media.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture has confirmed that the building was sealed after an inspection during which breaches of fire safety regulations were found.
Tensions between Kiev and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) escalated after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. UOC monks were ordered to leave the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, jurisdiction over which was divided between a Ukrainian cultural organization and the UOC, by March 29 for violating the terms of the lease. Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks could stay in the Lavra if they joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). Many of the UOC clerics do not recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and are defying the eviction order.