The Cabinet of Ministers decided to pass the complex of historic buildings “Sophia of Kyiv” to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. So reported the press-service of the Cabinet on 14 February.

At the same time, the Ministry of Finance was instructed to pass to the Ministry of Culture budget allocations for the maintenance and development of “Sophia of Kyiv.”

“The transfer of “Sophia of Kyiv” to the jurisdiction of the profile ministry which has an appropriate scientific and methodical basis and is authorized to represent Ukraine in matters of historic and cultural heritage in the international relations, is to facilitate the development of the reserve, conducting of scholarly-historical research and practically strengthen the reserve status of the priceless heritage of the princely times,” reads the report.

As it was reported earlier, Premier Mykola Azarov earlier stated that museums and reserves should be in the jurisdiction of a profile ministry which should ensure their preservation and development.

Sophia of Kyiv, which is a monument of the age of the Kyivan Rus, is included in the list of the world heritage of YUNESCO, has been in the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Regional Policy, Building and Housing.

As RISU reported on 8 February, the National Reserve “Sophia of Kyiv” sent a letter to the President with a call to protect the greatest Christian Shrine of Ukraine from destruction. The letter was signed by hundreds of people including foreign scientists who joined the address. According to the authors of the letter, the re-subordination of Sophia will lead to destabilization of the work of the reserve, elimination of the existing effective system of management and will threaten the preservation of the world and national cultural heritage.”