Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Church Burns in Russia

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The ancient, famous Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was set on fire in the Ukrainian capital on Monday morning after Russian forces launched deadly missile attacks. The attack on the Ukrainian capital killed at least four people, injured more than 20, and knocked out power to about 140,000 homes north of Kyiv. Similar attacks in the northeastern city of Kharkiv killed five more.

Images released by Ukraine's emergency services show flames billowing beneath the towers and domes of the Dormition Cathedral. Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna confirmed the damage to the cathedral, and Metropolitan Epiphanius, the head of the Kyiv Orthodox Church, called the incident “another crime by Russia against humanity, history, and Christianity,” calling for prayers for the sanctuary’s salvation.

The nearly 1,000-year-old masterpiece of Ukrainian art (founded in the 11th century) is an important spiritual and pilgrimage center that houses a network of underground churches and caves filled with the remains of great saints and monks. UNESCO, which added the building to its “Heritage in Danger” list in 2023 due to threats from Russian aggression, considers it a masterpiece of unparalleled value.

The escalation of military tensions comes as diplomatic efforts are underway behind the scenes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with Donald Trump about ways to end the four-year war. The Kremlin also confirmed that Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin on Sunday. Zelensky wrote in a message on X: “The only wish of Ukrainians from Trump is that we will finally achieve peace, together with the United States and our partners,” a phrase whose fulfillment, in the shadow of the flames in Kyiv, seems more vital than ever.