Kyiv Monastery Damaged in Russian Aerial Attack, Authorities Say

A 1,000-year-old monastery that symbolises Ukraine's spiritual and cultural heritage was badly damaged in the heaviest Russian aerial attack on Kyiv in two weeks, authorities said on Monday, while 10 people were killed nationwide in the overnight strikes.

France's foreign minister ⁠said the attack on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1051, was akin to bombing Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

The Russian strikes came after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he had discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump efforts to secure an end to the more than four-year conflict, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week.

"A Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra set the Dormition Cathedral on fire – a church whose history dates back to the 11th century. And this is one of Russia's most serious crimes against Christian ⁠culture to date," Zelenskiy said on X.

"This is an attack on our history," he said ​later, ⁠while visiting the damaged monastery and adding, "Of course everything will be restored."

As flames leaptabove the religious compound, Kyiv residents took shelter underground in the worst Russian attack on Ukraine since early June, when drones and missiles killed more than 20 people and left more than 100 wounded.

Russia denied striking the monastery and ⁠said it had been damaged by a U.S.-made Patriot air defence missile but Zelenskiy said during a visit to the site that it had been struck ​by a Russian drone.

Here are some facts about the monastery, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site:

Its history dates back to 11th century

A grand complex with striking belltowers, resplendent churches, chapels, gates and seminary buildings, the Lavra was founded by monks near the Dnipro river in 1051.

The first historian of Ukraine, Nestor the Chronicler, lived and worked at the monastery. Over the next centuries, the monastery emerged as a leading spiritual centre of Kyivan Rus, where chroniclers, icon painters and physicians worked, fostering the development of education.

The complex grew to become the main sacred site of Orthodox Christianity in eastern Europe. A short drive from Kyiv's bustling city centre, it continues to draw large numbers of worshippers and tourists.

Sprawling complex

The complex, whose name means "monastery of the caves", occupies more than 20 hectares and has more than 100 buildings, housing several churches and chapels. Six ancient underground churches are located in the caves of the monastery. It also houses several museums.

Caves

The monastery comprises a network of surface and underground churches dating from the 11th to the 19th centuries, set within a labyrinthine cave complex extending over 600 metres.

The caves were dug into Dnipro hills between 5 and 15 metres deep.

The bodies of monks rest within the monastery's caves, including the first monk to inhabit the caves, St Anthony.

Dormition Cathedral set on fire

A Russian strike set fire to the roof of the Dormition Cathedral, the main cathedral of the monastery complex, Ukrainian officials said.

The cathedral, whose history also dates back to the 11th century, served as a necropolis for the medieval princes of Kyiv. It was also badly damaged during World War Two.

"This strike on the Lavra is an attack on the Christian community and on the cultural heritage of humanity," Zelenskiy said, adding that the site would be fully restored.

Russia denied striking the cathedral, saying it had been damaged by a U.S.-made Patriot air defence missile.