Pochaiv refutes fake news about convicted "novice"

In response to some media reports about the "conviction of a novice of the Pochaiv Lavra to 15 years in prison for treason", the brethren of the Pochaiv Lavra officially state that the young man in question has never been among the novices of the monastery and has never lived there. This was reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

It is noted that some media outlets have been spreading claims that a certain 20-year-old man, sentenced to 15 years for treason, was a novice of the Pochaiv Lavra and lived in the village of Stary Tarazh, Pochaiv OTG.

"The brethren of the Pochaiv Lavra clarify that all the monastery's novices live within the Lavra, not outside its walls, and certainly not at a home address. Their way of life excludes the possibility of uncontrolled movement around the district or region. Therefore, the claims that the man was a novice of the Lavra while living in the village contradict each other," the statement reads.

The UOC department reminds that the blatantly false information about the individual’s association with the Pochaiv Lavra was debunked as early as February 1, 2023.

"The Pochaiv Lavra officially reiterates that the man in question was not a novice and did not live in the Lavra," the monastery's statement was conveyed by the UOC press service.

As the UOJ reported, the Ministry of Culture commission disapproved of the modern renovations in the Pochaiv Lavra.