The Director General of the National Reserve of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Maxim Ostapenko was dismissed from office due to improper fulfillment of the terms of the contract and found violations in the activity of the institution. The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy reported this on May 22.
The ministry noted that the decision was made on the basis of a note of the Director of the Department of Protection and Preservation of Vladimir Shornikov Cultural Heritage. According to the documents, in early May, Ostapenko was reprimanded, which he got acquainted in person.
The reason for the disciplinary penalty was the report of the working group of the Ministry of Culture, which checked the state of accounting, use and preservation of state property, which is in the operational management of the reserve. In addition, experts studied compliance with the boundaries and modes of use of the territory and buffer zone of the cultural heritage object.
The department itself emphasized that all decisions were made in accordance with the current legislation.
The day before, Ostapenko stated that he had learned about his release without warning. According to him, in recent weeks, rumors have been spreading about the "backstage struggle for control over the Lavra", but there is no official confirmation of this statement.
Maxim Ostapenko headed the reserve since 2023 after the state initiated the termination of lease by religious structures of individual laurel premises.
