The Greek Ministry of Culture intends to cover the costs of preparing projects for the restoration of the Kiev-Pechorsk Lavra, which suffered serious damage in a Russian air strike on the Ukrainian capital on June 15, according to a letter from Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni to her Ukrainian counterpart Tetyana Berezhna, ANA-MPA reported.
In the letter, Mendoni expresses Greece's sincere sympathy and empathy after the Russian attack that caused damage to the Kiev-Pechorsk Lavra – monument included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, ANA-MPA reported.
In her letter, Lina Mendoni unconditionally condemns the attack on a place of exceptional architectural, historical, cultural and religious significance, emphasizing that cultural heritage should not become a target or a means of use during armed conflicts.
At the same time, she confirms Greece's active support for Ukraine in the field of cultural heritage protection. In particular, she informed about the intention of the Greek Ministry of Culture to bear the costs of preparing projects for the restoration of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, as well as about the preparation of a memorandum of cooperation between the Thessaloniki-based European Center for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments, which is led by the Greek Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine with the aim of organizing specialized training seminars for Ukrainian restorers of antiquities and works of art in Thessaloniki.