Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni has sent a letter to Ukraine’s Minister of Culture, Tetyana Berezhna, expressing Greece’s sincere condolences and solidarity following the Russian attack of June 15, which caused damage to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a monument inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In her letter, Lina Mendoni unequivocally condemns the strike on a site of exceptional architectural, historical, cultural, and religious significance, stressing that cultural heritage must never become either a target or a tool of exploitation during armed conflicts.

At the same time, she reaffirms Greece’s practical support for Ukraine in the field of cultural heritage protection.

More specifically, she announces the intention of the Ministry of Culture to cover the cost of preparing restoration studies for the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, as well as to promote a Memorandum of Cooperation between the European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments and Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture. The aim is to organize specialized training workshops in Thessaloniki for Ukrainian conservators of antiquities and works of art.