Damage from Missile Strike on Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Exceeds 500 Million Hryvnias

Massive Attack on Kyiv

According to Главком: During the night of June 15, a large-scale Russian assault on Kyiv inflicted over 500 million hryvnias in damage on the National Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Historic-Cultural Preserve, among other sites, including the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio. The attack ignited the roof of the Dormition Cathedral, creating a risk of vault collapse that could have endangered the iconostasis and numerous artworks inside. This event is part of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, highlighting the vulnerability of cultural heritage sites to modern warfare.

While the main firefighting efforts have concluded, the State Emergency Service (SES) continues clearing hazardous debris, dismantling damaged structures, and preparing the cathedral’s roof. Maksym Ostapenko, Director General of the National Preserve, stated,

“the vault held, though there were two spots where fire had already begun to enter the cathedral, and the danger was very serious.”

He emphasized that deploying over 20 pieces of equipment saved the cathedral from total destruction.

Evacuation of relics from the cathedral began just 10 minutes after the strike, with no items damaged or lost. Ostapenko noted,

“No item was damaged or lost-evacuation was organized immediately.”

Restoration of the Dormition Cathedral is expected to take about two years, while urgent work to install temporary roofing will last over 10 days.

Aftermath of the Attack

The assault also struck a five-story residential building in the Pechersk district and a nine-story residential building in the Solomyansky district. In the Obolonsky district, a residential building suffered structural damage between the third and fourth floors. Furthermore, the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio was hit, destroying Ukraine’s largest and oldest costume collection, which contained roughly 100,000 costumes and three million clothing items.

Rescue efforts and a swift response to the threat helped mitigate harm, but the attack’s consequences leave a deep mark on Ukraine’s cultural and historical legacy. The destruction of the film studio’s unique collections represents a particularly significant loss for national culture, underscoring the urgent need to protect cultural treasures and historical memory amid ongoing hostilities.

The recent attack on Kyiv not only caused significant damage to the National Kyiv Pechersk Lavra but also highlighted the ongoing threat to the city. As reported, this assault was part of a larger pattern of nighttime strikes on critical infrastructure, including a devastating fire in a parking lot nearby. For a detailed account of this and other incidents during the overnight assault, visit the comprehensive report on the Russian assault in Kyiv.