The presentation of the exhibition took place as part of an event marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine’s independence, organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA in cooperation with the Ukrainian House in Washington. The exposition tells the story of the history, architecture, and preservation of one of the most significant monuments of Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
The exhibition presents photographs of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, gathered from the 18th century to the early 21st century. They demonstrate how the architectural complex and its surroundings changed across different periods. The photographs also show the people for whom the Lavra was a place of life, work, prayer, and worship – monks, museum workers, pilgrims, and tourists.
The exhibition was prepared by the National Reserve “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.
“For almost a thousand years, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has been a place where Ukrainian history was created. Today we owe it a special responsibility for its future. This year, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra began suffering the consequences of Russian attacks. The exhibition in Washington opens the history of the Lavra to an international audience and shows the scale of the responsibility that Ukraine bears today for preserving cultural heritage of world significance,” said Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for Humanitarian Policy – Minister of Culture of Ukraine.
Members of Congress, representatives of the US Administration, the diplomatic corps, the non-governmental sector, heads of leading American companies, the Ukrainian community, experts, and journalists were able to view the exhibition. The Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, which contributed to the preparation and opening of the exhibition, was represented at the meeting on cooperation with the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” by Lesia Yastrubetska, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
Lesia Yastrubetska – expert of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, а Visiting Scholar at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology (USA), Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
“This exhibition has not only symbolic but also substantive significance. It opens the international community to nearly a thousand years of cultural heritage, which Ukrainians have diligently preserved for centuries, and at the same time represents scientific evidence of its systematic desecration and destruction by the Russian aggressor. Together with other calls against the Ukrainian people, this is an important confirmation of the genocidal nature of the current war,” – said Lesia Yastrubetska.
“Since the first day of the full-scale war, the Kremlin has clearly outlined its goal: to destroy Ukraine as a nation, to erase our culture, our identity, and our historical heritage. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is an inseparable part of this heritage. Despite the ongoing Russian terror, Ukraine endures. Our culture is not perishing – on the contrary, it is receiving new impetus thanks to unbreakable and creative Ukrainians. That is why the presentation in the United States of an exhibition dedicated to the 975th anniversary of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is not merely a commemoration of our history, but testimony that Ukrainian cultural heritage is alive, developing, and will be passed on to future generations. It is especially gratifying that after Washington the exhibition will travel to other cities in the United States,” – said Chargé d’Affaires of Ukraine to the USA Denys Senik.
In 2026, Ukraine marks the 100th anniversary of the National Historical and Cultural Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”. The Reserve was founded on September 29, 1926, on the territory of one of the oldest Christian monasteries in Eastern Europe, the first mention of which in historical sources dates back to 1051.
The monastery complex occupies nearly 67 acres and includes 140 historical structures above and below ground, dating from the 11th century to the early 20th century. In March 1990, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ukraine.
The exhibition covers nearly 150 years of the Lavra’s history. During this time, Ukraine, like the Lavra, went through two world wars, revolutionary events, and political and social upheavals. Today the complex once again finds itself amid the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
During the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra faces the threat of destruction and desecration. Several structures of the complex have already sustained damage from Russian missile strikes on Kyiv in 2022–2026.
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Ukraine calls on its international partners to join efforts to protect a site of world significance, which is part of the cultural memory of Ukraine and Europe.
