Kiev Caves Monastery is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has almost a thousand years of history
An important Ukrainian monastic complex in the heart of Kiev is in flames after a massive and deadly Russian attack in the early hours of Monday, which left more than a dozen injured in the capital, according to local authorities.
Images showed flames coming out of the Kiev Caves Monastery (Kyiv Pechersk Lavra), classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and with almost a thousand years of history, after the attack.
Firefighters were fighting the flames under the towers and domes of the Dormition Cathedral, in the complex, as shown in images released by Ukraine’s emergency services.
“The Russians damaged the Dormition Cathedral,” lamented Tetyana Berezhna, Minister of Culture of Ukraine, in a statement.
Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kiev and All Ukraine called for “prayers for the salvation of the sanctuary from destruction”, in a statement.
“Another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity.”
A CNN journalist in Kiev reported hearing multiple explosions.
At least four people were killed and more than 20 were injured in the attack on the city, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kiev’s military administration.
The attack also left around 140,000 homes in the north of Kiev without electricity, according to the mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko.
The Kiev Caves Monastery (Kyiv Pechersk Lavra) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2023, it was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger “due to the threat of destruction posed by the Russian offensive.”
Founded in the 11th century and made up of a complex network of underground and aboveground churches, the complex is an important spiritual and cultural center for many Ukrainians and an essential pilgrimage site. In its UNESCO classification, the complex is described as a “masterpiece of Ukrainian art”.
Over the centuries, the relics of saints have been buried in the caves, according to UNESCO.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least five people died following Russian bombing in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Five others were injured, he added.
The attack comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he spoke with US President Donald Trump about efforts to end the war, which Moscow started more than four years ago. Trump also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, according to the Kremlin.
“All Ukrainians have one wish for President Trump: that we can finally achieve peace and that we achieve this success together with the US and all our partners,” Zelensky wrote on his Facebook account.
