In photos: Kyiv’s historic Pechersk Lavra monastery burns after a Russian strike
Russia struck Kyiv overnight on June 15, setting fire to the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ukrainian officials condemned the attack as an act of barbarism against Christian culture.
On the night of June 15, Russia launched an attack on Kyiv that caused a fire at the Pechersk Lavra monastery. The strike targeted the Dormition Cathedral, a historic and architectural monument on the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to director general Maksym Ostapenko, Russia carried out two targeted strikes aimed at destroying the cathedral. One drone hit the center of the cathedral, while the second strike hit the Ivan Kushchnyk Tower and the nearby Mystetskyi Arsenal museum complex. Icons and relics were carried out of the lavra to save them from the flames. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine would seek action from UNESCO and other international bodies, calling the attack an act of “state barbarism.” President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “one of the largest Russian crimes against Christian culture.” The attack underscores the ongoing destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage amid the war.
