Key facts
- Switzerland is providing $730,000 to restore the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
- The historic site was damaged by a Russian drone attack on June 15.
- The funding will be channeled through UNESCO.
- President Zelensky ordered the government to prepare a law protecting Ukraine's national shrines.
- The new law will define criteria for 'national shrine' and include measures against Russian aggression.
Switzerland is providing approximately $730,000 to aid in the restoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a significant Ukrainian historic and religious site that sustained damage from a Russian drone attack on June 15. The funding will be channeled through UNESCO.
In parallel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree instructing the government to draft a bill by August 24 on the protection of Ukraine's national shrines. This initiative aims to preserve cultural heritage, establish criteria for designating sites as 'national shrines,' and implement measures to protect them from Russian aggression. Zelensky emphasized the importance of passing on cultural heritage to future generations despite deliberate Russian attacks.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was damaged by a Russian Shahed-type drone strike on its Dormition Cathedral. This contribution is part of Switzerland's broader commitment of 5 billion Swiss francs ($6.1 billion) to Ukraine's reconstruction through 2036. Switzerland has also aligned with EU sanctions against Russia and frozen Russian assets.