Rescuers lift cross from Kyiv Cave Monastery that fell on 8 March

Rescuers in Kyiv removed a fallen cross from the dome of the church. A cross fell from the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The details were reported by the press service of the State Emergency Service on Facebook.

Experts received a report of a need for assistance in Lavrsky Lane on 8 March at 13:05.

They arrived at the scene and found that a cross had partially collapsed on the dome of one of the churches.

Києво-Печерська лавра

The rescuers used an articulating boom lift to safely dismantle the structure. They climbed up to the cross, carefully cut the wire and safely lowered it to the ground.

What is the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is an Orthodox monastery complex in Kyiv. It is considered one of the largest Christian centres in Ukraine. It is a historical and architectural landmark owned by the state, and religious organisations use it exclusively on a leasehold basis.

It was founded in 1051 as a cave monastery outside the city. The name was derived from the caves where its first inhabitants settled.

The holy place was a certain stronghold of Orthodoxy in Russia. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople established the stavropegion in 1592. In 1688 it became a monastery. It became a centre of pilgrimage for the Orthodox in the early modern period.

Together with St Sophia Cathedral, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 (the list of sites dates back to 1990).

Since 1996, the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve has been operating on the territory of the Upper Lavra. The monastery itself is located on the territory of the Lower Lavra. The monument is now under the jurisdiction of the National Reserve.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) regularly holds services in the churches of the Upper Lavra. The largest Orthodox Church in Ukraine by the number of believers has its own monastery here.