Kyiv shrines, memorials with powerful symbolic value at risk

By PETER SMITH
Associated Press

Kyiv, bracing for a Russian attack, is the spiritual heart of Ukraine, and some of the nation’s most sacred Orthodox shrines are located there. They date back nearly 1,000 years to the dawn of Christianity in the region. St. Sophia’s Cathedral could be at risk. It’s held sacred by many in Ukraine. So is the nearby monastic complex Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves. On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said Russian forces damaged Ukraine’s main Holocaust memorial, Babi Yar, prompting international condemnation. There’s no indication it was intentionally hit, nor that Russia plans to target shrines in the city. But the shrines are vulnerable in their elevated locations.