President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a bill on Ukraine’s national shrines would be prepared by Independence Day. The legislation is expected to define which sites qualify for this status and establish mechanisms for their protection.
The president made the announcement during a ceremony marking the 975th anniversary of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, according to the Office of the President.
Zelensky said he had signed a decree introducing measures to protect Ukraine’s national shrines and discussed the future legislation with Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk.
“I am asking parliament to support the relevant law so that we clearly define what our shrines are and what steps are needed to protect them throughout our country,” the president said.
According to Zelensky, the special status should expand the capabilities of institutions responsible for preserving Ukraine’s heritage. This would include better working conditions, increased funding, and stronger political and legal mechanisms for protecting sacred sites and museum collections.
Zelensky described the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as a center of Ukraine’s spiritual strength and independence, as well as one of the foundations of Ukrainian statehood. He stressed that such places are not merely architectural landmarks but an integral part of the country’s history, culture and national identity.
The president recalled the fire at the Lavra following a Russian drone strike. He said Ukrainians had been saving not only buildings and walls, but also part of their home and historical memory.
“One must be utterly despicable and utterly foolish to strike the Lavra, but Russia did it,” Zelensky said.
The president noted that Russian attacks during the war had damaged the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Saint Sophia Cathedral, Babyn Yar and Drobytsky Yar. Hundreds of churches, houses of worship, museums and museum collections have also been burned or destroyed.
Zelensky urged state institutions to seek more international funding for the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage. He said Ukraine should also expand cooperation with UNESCO and work to have more Ukrainian shrines included on the World Heritage List.
The president separately emphasized the need to protect cultural and religious sites in temporarily occupied territories, particularly Crimea, and to preserve places associated with the history of the Crimean Tatar people. He also called for stronger sanctions and efforts to hold Russia accountable for attacks on Ukrainian heritage.
“No one but us will unite the world so that humanity, culture and history prevail in this confrontation with Russia,” Zelensky said.
The ceremony was attended by Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, representatives of Switzerland and Armenia, diplomats, clergy and Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
An exhibition project was opened for the anniversary, and the Book of Guardians and Patrons of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was presented. Zelensky made its first entry, symbolically beginning a modern chronicle of preparations for the shrine’s millennium.
The president expressed hope that future generations of Ukrainians visiting the Lavra and other national shrines would see there “not Russia, but the life of Ukraine.”
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was founded in 1051. In June 2026, Zelensky signed a decree marking its 975th anniversary and launching a 25-year preparation for its millennium.
