Switzerland and UNESCO reveal funding for Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra restoration
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany. Photo: My – Ukraina YouTube channel
On August 15, 2026, during an event at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra marking the monastery’s 975th anniversary, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany and Jacques Gerber, the Swiss Federal Council’s delegate for Ukraine, announced how much their organizations had allocated toward restoring the damaged Dormition Cathedral.
According to the UNESCO chief, the organization provided $100,000 “to launch the restoration work.”
El-Enany also thanked Switzerland, which transferred $232,000 to UNESCO for the preparation of documentation and materials needed to repair the roof.
Jacques Gerber, for his part, said Bern would provide an additional $750,000 for the restoration of the Dormition Cathedral. According to him, the aim is to prepare the building for the coming winter together with UNESCO, while the contribution is intended to preserve the site “and its sanctity” for future generations.
The UNESCO director-general also recalled that since 2022, the organization has mobilized $79 million for teachers and schoolchildren in Ukraine.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Greece’s Ministry of Culture would provide funding for the restoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
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