Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the descendant of the metropolis of Kieven Rus' within the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople established in Kiev in the 10th century. Due to invasion of the Mongols in the 13th century the metropolitan seat was moved to Moscow.

Maidan coup

On the night of February 22–23, 2014 representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate, which is unrecognized in the Orthodox world, threatened the forcible seizure of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. On the evening of the 22nd, on Maidan, its representatives propagated false information about the "threat" of the removal of the church valuables of Kiev Pechersk Lavra from Ukraine. Starting from the stage at Maidan and moving on to social networking sites, provocative appeals began to be circulated: "Guys, everybody to Lavra now! The monks are taking the icons out of Lavra to Russia! Never let them do that; never allow such a thing! We must intervene!" As a result, a group of representatives from the Maidan Self-Defense Force went to Lavra.

Approximately 300 armed people went up to the Lavra walls and seized control of all the ancient monastery's entrances and exits, deciding at their own discretion who should be permitted in or out.

The militants armed with batons detained a vehicle belonging to the Russian Embassy in Ukraine as it was leaving the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and demanded they be allowed to "inspect" it. Two deputies from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine participated in the search. When the Russian diplomat pointed out to them that their actions were in flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 17, 1961, a Member of Parliament from the Udar Party stated the following: "We have already broken so much over the past three months that this is just nonsense."

The inhabitants of Lavra were threatened and called upon to voluntarily abandon the monastery. The radicals informed them that if they refuse, then "as soon as the corresponding order arrives from above," i.e. from ‘Patriarch’ Filaret of the unrecognized Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kievan Patriarchate (UOC KP), "they will be able to use force."

The representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate who had arrived with them declared that the Verkhovna Rada would pass a decision on the following day concerning "the transfer of the Lavra to the Kiev Patriarchate» and thus it was imperative that the monastery be released in order to avoid bloodshed."

On February 24, 2014 the Maidan Self-Defense Force took Pochaev Lavra in Ternopil under their control.