Pochaiv Lavra Responds to Media Reports Following Search by Ukrainian Authorities
Monastery claims lawyer’s office was searched without proper court order or legal oversight; students blocked from prayer during evening service.
POCHAIV — In response to inaccurate information being released by different media outlets about the recent raid of the Pochaiv Lavra on Oct. 8, 2025, the Lavra's official website has released an update to clarify details of the event.
According to the Lavra, a police lieutenant and an investigator of the Kremenets District Police Department of the National Police in Ternopil Oblast arrived at around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2025, along with operatives of the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) and their supervisor. They presented a court order for a search of the Lavra.
"At the beginning of the investigative action, the police lieutenant prohibited the monastery residents from recording any actions on video and rejected requests to allow more than one monk to be present in the search protocol," the Lavra said. "However, the monastic brotherhood complied with the investigator’s demands and provided unhindered access to all the premises and objects in the Lavra that were of interest to him."
The investigator became interested in the lawyer's office during the search, and the Lavra's lawyer presented all necessary documents proving the legal use of the premises for such work. The lawyer then stated that a search of the office would require a separate court order. At around 3 p.m., the investigator called for a break of "unspecified duration" due to the need to "call in additional specialists."
The search was resumed at approximately 4:20 p.m. without a representative from the Lavra's brotherhood present. The Lavra states that the following specialists were involved: V.V. Ilchyshyn, Director of the Kremenets State Historical and Architectural Reserve (DIAZ), his deputy I.M. Derevinsky, and a representative from the State Emergency Service (DSNS), who, however, lacked proper identification.
"At this time, the police lieutenant decided to re-enter a previously searched building through the side interior doors of the Dormition Cathedral," the Lavra states. "Since the doors were locked and the DSNS representative mentioned the difficulty of removing them, the investigator decided to proceed to the Lavra’s utility gates. As those gates were also closed in accordance with internal rules, the lieutenant ordered the latches on the gate to be sawed off. These events occurred at the start of the evening service dedicated to the commemoration of St. John the Theologian and were thus accompanied by the Lavra bells."
After cutting the latch with special tools, the lawyer's office was once again entered, and the lawyer once again provided the necessary documents showing the registration of the office address and other matters. Despite not getting a separate court order the search the lawyer's office and without a representative from the Bar Council of the Ternopil Oblast present, the investigator announced the start of a search of the lawyer's premises at around 4:35 p.m. The Lavra's lawyer was then prompted to call an investigative team, which never arrived.
As seminarians were going to the Dormition Cathedral for the service dedicated to St. John, they decided to go through the utility gate as the main building doors were locked. Upon approaching the utility gate, a stranger wearing civilian clothing with white headphones blocked from them from going to pray. After a short discussion, the students proceeded to the gate, which, upon opening, they face resistance to enter.
According to the Lavra, the operatives and investigator himself were forcibly holding the gate shut to prevent the seminarians from entering the inner courtyard. After a verbal altercation of roughly 10 minutes, the SBU operatives left the utility gate area and moved towards the Transfiguration Cathedral. After a lengthy conversation, the crowd of people dispersed.
"This event caused significant concern among the large number of people who care about the fate of Pochaiv Lavra," the release states. "Therefore, we are providing an objective account of the events of that day and express our gratitude to all the faithful for their prayerful support."
Previously, UOJ reported that on August 24, police blocked more than 100 vehicles accompanying the pilgrimage from Kamianets-Podilskyi to the Pochaiv Lavra.
