The event took place at the Ukrainian Institute of America. The exhibition “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra: 975 Years of History — 100 Years of Responsible Preservation” had previously been presented in Washington. In New York, it was opened with a presentation by the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation’s expert in the USA, Doctor of Economic Sciences and Professor at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lesia Yastrubetska.
The scholar’s presentation added arguments to the international discussion launched by the #unrussiaUN initiative group. Thanks to the efforts of this initiative, the international community has recognized that Russia illegally occupies the USSR’s seat at the UN. Despite this, the aggressor has still not been expelled from the General Assembly. A separate stand at the exhibition was dedicated to the #unrussiaUN campaign.
Lesia Yastrubetska spoke about the nearly thousand-year history of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, its unique spiritual, cultural and historical significance, and its role in shaping Ukrainian identity and the tradition of statehood and in preserving national memory. She separately highlighted the history of attempts to destroy and appropriate Ukrainian cultural and sacred heritage, and also spoke about present-day threats amid Russian aggression.
Through the history of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the researcher revealed the broader dimension of the problem: the destruction of cultural heritage is not only an attack on historical memory and national identity, but also a challenge to international law and global security. Yastrubetska argued why a state that wages a war of aggression, destroys Ukraine’s cultural and sacred heritage (including UNESCO World Heritage sites), and violates the fundamental principles of international law cannot hold a permanent seat on the UN Security Council — the body tasked with maintaining international peace and security.
“At a time when world leaders are talking about peace, international law and global security, it is especially important that Ukraine’s voice and the truth about the threat to its sacred heritage amid Russian terror be heard, said Yastrubetska. — For the fifth year in a row, innocent people are dying and cultural heritage is being destroyed every day in the heart of Europe. And the international order still cannot find sufficient strength to stop these crimes. The exhibition shows not only the history of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, but also the reality in which the world exists today. The strike by a Russian drone on the Lavra complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on June 15, 2026, demonstrates the scale of lawlessness in which the fundamental principles of international law are being violated.
When such violations go unpunished, their consequences take on a global scale, threatening the security of the entire world. That is why protecting the Lavra and Ukraine today is not only a matter of preserving one state and its cultural heritage. It is about defending the fundamental principles on which civilization exists: justice, responsibility and the rule of law.”
The event was attended by members of New York’s Ukrainian community, civic and cultural organizations, professional circles and business, as well as foreign guests. The large turnout at the opening showed international interest in preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage and restoring the rule of international law.
The exhibition was prepared by specialists of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation.
As a reminder, on August 7, 2026, the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The partnership is intended to combine the experience and capabilities of the two institutions, engage international partners and work together to promote Ukrainian heritage.
