Frescoes of Russian world: How Moscow Patriarchate prepared Lavra for occupation of Kyiv
Part of the frescoes in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Moscow Patriarchate actively transformed the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra into a center of the so-called Russian world. This is evidenced by architectural changes and frescoes in the shrine's main church, the Dormition Cathedral, reveals Maksym Ostapenko, General Director of the National Reserve Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, in his interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Why it matters
The Moscow Patriarchate did not merely retain control over the Lavra — it tried to turn it into an ideological base for Russian occupation. One of the key examples is the St. Andrew's chapel in the cathedral, where, without state approval and right before the invasion, murals were created in the classic imperial style, replacing the authentic Cossack Baroque.
Part of a fresco in the Lavra (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Empire in the frescoes
According to Maksym Ostapenko, the painting style of St. Andrew's Chapel follows the Russian-Byzantine tradition of the 19th century, typical for cities like Mozhaisk and Riazan. This style reinforces "the Great Russian imperial idea."
The frescoes depict saints most revered by the Russian Orthodox Church, including Seraphim of Sarov, the official "patron of Russia’s nuclear weapons."
Seraphim of Sarov in a fresco in the Lavra (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
But not only him. The murals also feature Patriarch Kirill himself and Metropolitan Pavlo, former abbot of the Lavra, known as Pasha Mercedes. This is not only an ideological promotion of the Russian world but also an attempt to personify and solidify power.
Pasha Mercedes in a fresco in the Lavra (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
According to the plan, after the capture of Kyiv in 2022, this is where Patriarch Kirill was to conduct services "as a lesson to all the Mazepists," says Ostapenko. There were also serious attempts to make the Lavra a permanent residence for the head of the Russian Orthodox Church — this idea was being lobbied at the state level back in the 2010s.
Metropolitans of the UOC-MP Onufrii and Pavlo, and the late Volodymyr (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Historical background
Until 1686, the Lavra was directly subordinate to Constantinople. Only later was it incorporated into the structure of the Moscow Patriarchate. From that moment, the Russian Church began actively using the shrine to promote imperial ideology.
"Russia is not fighting just for territory. It is fighting for symbols," Ostapenko emphasizes.
We previously reported that a project to revive the Ukrainian military icon was presented at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The initiative, supported by the Ministry of Defense, aims to restore the traditions of Baroque icon painting and strengthen national identity. The consecrated icons have already been handed over to three brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as spiritual amulets.
