Ministry of Culture recommends not renewing Moscow Patriarchate church’s lease for two churches in Kyiv-Pechersk LavraKyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Photo:Киево-Печерская Лавра/Facebook)The Ministry of Culture is recommending that the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra not renew a lease for the Dormition Cathedral and the Trapezna (Refectory) Church for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko said on national television on Dec. 27.In accordance with the presidential decree on the inspection of the use of the Lavra's property, we will recommend not to extend the agreement.”Tkachenko explained a governmental commission has been established to conduct an inspection in the Lavra, and for the time being there are no services conducted at these two churches.The Minister noted the perpetual lease agreement in regard to the churches of the Lower Lavra was signed back in 2013.“But according to the decree, the government commission has to inspect the use of the Lavra's property there as well and then decide.”The abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavlo (Lebed), appealed to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to delay or suspend the lease inspection, as he claims he was not informed about it ahead of time.On Dec. 1, the National Security and Defense Council instructed the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience to conduct an examination of the statute of the UOC-MP, as well as to submit to the government a draft law that will allow the prohibition of organizations in Ukraine "affiliated with Russian centers of influence"."