Amsterdam: Disturbing the relics of Kyiv Lavra saints is complete blasphemy
Robert Amsterdam spoke on Turkish television about the actions of Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture at one of the most revered shrines of the Orthodox world.
International lawyer Robert Amsterdam, who represents the interests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, stated on Turkish broadcaster TRT that the intrusion of Ukrainian authorities into one of the most revered shrines in the Orthodox world – the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra – is outright blasphemy. The interview with the UOC’s attorney was published on the Nexus YouTube channel on April 4, 2025.
Commenting on the work of the commission assigned to "examine" the relics of the Pechersk saints, Amsterdam told the Turkish audience that “they're out to completely destroy the thousand-year-old Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and as recently as last Friday they invaded the most sacred Lavra in Ukraine and are disturbing the remains of thousand-year-old saints.”
“This is complete blasphemy,” the international human rights advocate emphasized.
As previously reported by the UOJ, Amsterdam has stated that repealing the law targeting the UOC should be a condition for U.S. aid to Ukraine.
