A letter of condolence was sent by Lina Mendoni to her Ukrainian counterpart regarding the damage caused by a Russian attack on the Lavra of the Caves.
The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni sent a letter to the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetyana Berezhna, expressing Greece’s sincere condolences and Greece’s solidarity regarding the Russian attack on June 15, which caused damage to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra), a site inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
In her letter, Lina Mendoni unequivocally condemns the damage to a site of exceptional architectural, historical, cultural, and religious significance, emphasizing that cultural heritage cannot be a target or a tool for exploitation during armed conflicts.
At the same time, it reaffirms Greece’s practical support for Ukraine in the field of cultural heritage protection. Specifically, it announces the Ministry of Culture’s intention to cover the cost of conducting restoration studies for the Lavra of the Caves, as well as to promote a Memorandum of Cooperation between the European Center for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, with the aim of organizing specialized training workshops for Ukrainian conservators of antiquities and works of art in Thessaloniki.
