In whose interests is the Orthodox heritage being destroyed?
Author: Talib Aliyev, analyst
Ukraine urgently needs money to continue the war with Russia, because it is obvious that Western assistance is not enough. Arms supplies from the US and the EU come with serious reservations, funding for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is limited. Orthodox shrines can become a new source of income for the Zelensky regime.
Ukraine is an ancient cradle of Orthodoxy and a repository of priceless treasures of history and culture. Many collectors around the world are willing to pay impressive sums for them. The capture of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv can bring big money to the Ukrainian authorities and become the first step in the sale of Ukrainian history and culture.
The Ukrainian authorities, under the cover of UNESCO, have already agreed on the removal of ancient cultural artifacts from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. A similar scenario played out in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. The terrorist organization ISIS has built an entire business empire on the sale of ancient shrines. All the proceeds went to the maintenance of jihadist militants. This means that the terrorists not only deprived their countries and peoples of stability, homes, and lives but also destroyed their spiritual and cultural world.
Through the efforts of militants, many shrines of ancient Mesopotamia have been plundered, and hundreds and thousands of valuables have settled in private collections in the United States and the European Union. According to Interpol, the trade in ancient valuables has become huge and already poses a threat to international security. It ranks 4th in the list of transnational crimes, and in terms of sales is second only to arms and drug trafficking. The black market for art brought tens of millions of dollars to the jihadists every year. According to the most conservative estimates, 19,000 ancient artifacts were taken to 103 countries of the world.
The most egregious examples are the looting of the Museum of Mosul in Iraq, Palmyra in Syria, and other holy places. In the near future, this list will include the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, where all international smugglers are following the events. In the niches of ancient caves, there are imperishable relics of famous Orthodox saints. 123 saints of God are buried on the monastery territory. No other monastery in the world has such a number of shrines.
One of the largest museums in Europe, the “National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve”, worked on the territory of the Lavra, and the Lavra is also a repository of unique icons that are hunted by major collectors of the planet. All of the above is priceless, but thanks to the efforts of the Kyiv authorities, it will find its price and will actually be exchanged for tanks and artillery shells.
The events in the Middle East are already seen as an attempt to erase the history of the roots of an ancient civilization and write a "new history" that is beneficial to a certain circle of people - Daesh terrorists, enemies of Islam, their Western and Jewish patrons. It is precisely such processes that are now taking place in Ukraine, where history is being rewritten at the state level and with the open demand and pressure of the same Western supporters. Treasures of ancient Orthodox shrines are witnesses of true events and greatly interfere with the Kyiv authorities and their patrons, so they want to get rid of these priceless historical relics by destroying them.
The looting of ancient shrines is reminiscent of a cultural genocide that was started by ISIS terrorists and is being continued by the Ukrainian authorities. On the other hand, this is proof that the Kyiv regime, like ISIS, does not work for the benefit of Ukraine and its people, but for the benefit of its Western patrons.
