"Not every bird will reach it": access to the upper levels of the bell tower is now open at the Lavra. Photos and video

In Kyiv, for the first time in 30 years, people have been allowed to visit the Great Lavra Bell Tower. Prior to that, only the first three tiers of the bell tower were open to the public, and the last excursion to its highest point took place in the 1990s.

This was reported by a correspondent of OBOZ.UA. The ticket price is 100 hryvnias.

Thus, in Kyiv on Wednesday, November 22, for the first time in 30 years, the main visual symbol of the capital, the Great Lavra Bell Tower, became fully accessible to Kyiv residents and guests of the city.

This building was constructed in the 18th century on the site of an old wooden structure that burned down in 1718 during a significant fire. In the 1930s, it lost most of its bells, and during the Second World War, it was severely damaged by fire. The building underwent extensive restoration from 1957 to 1963, and the last repair and restoration work on the bell tower was carried out from 2010 to 2014.

The bell tower is 96 meters high. To reach the top, you need to climb more than 374 steep steps. The view from the bell tower overlooks the Lavra itself, the left and right banks, the Dnipro River, and the bridges. Interestingly, this building is the tallest cultural monument in the capital. Even the Motherland Monument is a few meters lower.

Since 1903, a clock has been installed at the top to display the time. Now you can climb up to it and see how this 130-year-old mechanism works.

"We have a specialist watchmaker who deals only with clocks. We plan to organize excursions with him on the roof, where he will show how the clocks work," said Anatolii Ostapenko, director of the museum-reserve.

The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra added that there is another issue that needs to be addressed. Specifically, what to do with the symbols of the Russian Empire - the coats of arms that are still on the columns of the bell tower. The mayor's office does not know yet.

Access to the lower tiers is available daily. The entrance fee is 100 UAH. Guided tours upstairs will be conducted three times a day.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Kyiv Commercial Court ordered the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery) of the UOC to return its property to the National Reserve "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra." In particular, this concerns 79 objects of the Lower Lavra.

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