After the Divine Liturgy at the Assumption Cathedral of the Svyatogorsk Lavra on June 7, 2026, a message of support from His Beatitude Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw and All Poland was read out.
In a letter to the monks and parishioners of the monastery, which is currently in the zone of active hostilities, the Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church stressed: "Christ the Lord did not call us to the glory and joy of this world. He did not promise us external peace and prosperity from the gifts of the earth. The Messiah invites us to participate in Calvary, after which we will experience the Resurrection together with Him. Jesus calls us to seek peace in our hearts and the gifts of the Spirit from heaven. Although we have always known this, when the moments of trials come, it is difficult for us to accept them, it is difficult to accept them with calmness. However, the Risen One encourages us: "Do not be afraid, little flock! For your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.… And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
"God is with you in these difficult days of Golgotha. We are also with you in our prayers and goodwill. We will be with you until the Day of Resurrection, when all worries will disappear," His Beatitude's message reads.
Spiritually strengthening those in the monastery, Metropolitan Savva wrote: Accept our love and archpastoral blessing. Hold on. Easter morning is already near."
According to the telegram channel of the Svyatogorsk Lavra, for more than a month the monastery has been left without centralized electricity supply, therefore, the monastery's electricity-dependent life is supported by generators. Neither the fire department, nor the utilities, nor the ambulance arrive there, there are difficulties with the delivery of supplies. In addition to the brethren, about 200 refugees and people affected by the war live within the walls of the lavra.
As previously reported, in 2024, the vicar of the lavra, Metropolitan Arseny of Svyatogorsk, was persecuted on artificial, far-fetched grounds and detained for almost two years, despite his serious health condition. This was stated, in particular, in the messages that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, a number of religious figures and representatives of international organizations. The ongoing pressure of the Ukrainian authorities on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including the persecution of Metropolitan Arseny, is mentioned in documents of human rights organizations, in particular, in the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.