Switzerland pledges $730,000 to help preserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Ukraine's foreign minister welcomes the move

According to 5 канал: Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, has welcomed Switzerland's plan to contribute roughly $730,000 through UNESCO to the preservation of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The pledge was announced in Kyiv by Jacques Gerber, the Swiss Federal Council delegate for Ukraine. Sybiha stressed how important this backing is ahead of the Lavra's 975th anniversary, particularly after the site was damaged by a Russian strike on January 24.

The minister said Russia had deliberately attacked the Lavra just two months before its jubilee. A combined Russian assault that night produced a blast wave that damaged buildings belonging to the National Reserve of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Lavra holds deep cultural significance for Ukraine.

Swiss aid, Russian strikes: Kyiv's response

Ukraine's National Commission for UNESCO has denounced the Russian attacks that damaged cultural heritage landmarks, among them the Lavra compound. The commission accused Russia of cultural genocide. In his remarks, Sybiha thanked Switzerland and Jacques Gerber for supporting Ukraine and protecting its cultural treasures.

“I applaud Switzerland’s decision to provide about $730,000 for the preservation of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra – a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Ukraine’s most important spiritual and cultural landmarks. This support carries special weight today, just two months before the Lavra’s 975th anniversary, because Russia deliberately struck this centuries-old shrine,” Andrii Sybiha said.

He likewise expressed gratitude for Switzerland’s solidarity: “I am thankful to Switzerland for this tangible show of support, and to Jacques Gerber, the Swiss delegate for Ukraine, for being present in Kyiv at this important moment. Together we are defending Ukrainian heritage, which is an invaluable part of the cultural legacy of Europe and the world.”

The announcement highlights how vital international assistance is to Ukraine as it works to preserve cultural heritage threatened by conflict. As a symbol of Ukrainian identity, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra needs restoration and protection amid Russia’s aggression, and support from Switzerland and other countries can help safeguard both Ukraine’s heritage and Europe’s broader cultural inheritance.