---
title: "Protection against aggression: Zelenskyy signs decree on the status of 'national shrine' for Ukrainian sites"
description: "🇺🇦 Zelenskyy signs decree on the status of 'national shrine' for Ukrainian sites. 📜 The Cabinet of Ministers is tasked with developing a law by August 24 that will tighten liability for the destruction of heritage. ⛪ The initiative was announced on the 975th anniversary of the Lavra following the strike on the Dormition Cathedral in June 2026. 🌍 The MFA will seek reparations from the RF and protection in UNESCO."
date: 2026-08-15T18:10:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/protection-against-aggression-zelenskyy-signs-decree-on-the-status-of-national-shrine-for-ukrainian-sites
tags: [ukraine-war, culture, zelensky, unesco, law, kyiv-pechersk-lavra]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Protection against aggression: Zelenskyy signs decree on the status of 'national shrine' for Ukrainian sites

![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a black jacket, who signed the decree on the status of 'national shrine' for Ukrainian objects](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/15/zelenyi-podpisal-ukaz-o-statuse-natsionalnoy-svyatyni-dlya-ukrainskikh-obektov/zelenyi-podpisal-ukaz-o-statuse-natsionalnoy-svyatyni-dlya-ukrainskikh-obektov-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- President Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 726/2026 on the introduction of the status of 'national shrine'.
- The Cabinet of Ministers must develop the corresponding law by August 24, 2026.
- The law provides for liability for the destruction of sites and the attraction of reparations.
- The initiative is linked to the need to protect heritage after the strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Amidst the ongoing war and the systematic destruction of cultural heritage, Ukraine is betting on creating a new legal mechanism to protect its historical values. On August 15, 2026, marking the anniversary of the tragic strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the adoption of Decree No. 726/2026. The document initiates the process of introducing a separate status of 'national shrine' for key sites, which is intended to become a powerful tool for their preservation.

### New legal status and selection criteria

According to the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers is tasked with developing a draft law by August 24, 2026, which will clearly define the list of sites eligible for this elite status. The selection criteria will be strict: the list will include only outstanding centers of historical memory and spirituality that already have the status of a monument of national significance or are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The legislator's goal is to secure not only symbolic but also legal priority for these sites, ensuring their maximum protection at the legislative level.

### Liability for destruction and international protection

One of the key provisions of the future law will be the tightening of liability for the destruction and damage of national shrines. President Zelenskyy emphasized that the new status should expand the financial and legal capabilities of those engaged in heritage preservation. Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to intensify its work on the international stage: to seek accountability from Russia for crimes against culture, attract international funds and reparations for the restoration of damaged sites, and promote new UNESCO nominations for Ukraine.

### Context: The strike on the Lavra and the creation of a Pantheon

The initiative gained resonance against the backdrop of the tragic events of June 2026. On the night of June 15, a Russian drone hit the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra — the main church of the complex and a World Heritage site. It was on this day, August 15, during a ceremony marking the 975th anniversary of the Lavra, that the President announced plans to strengthen protection. In parallel, the Verkhovna Rada has already supported the initiative to establish a Ukrainian National Pantheon this year, with the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra designated as the site.

### Contradictory data

Although the President's initiative has found broad support in society, questions have arisen in the expert community and among human rights defenders regarding the constitutional aspects of introducing the term 'shrine' in a secular state. In particular, sources cite opinions that the use of religious terminology in state law could cause controversy. However, as noted by a source from Abkhazia (apsny.ge) in their commentary, there is nothing unconstitutional in the protection of national shrines if the issue concerns the preservation of historical memory and culture, rather than the imposition of religious dogma. President Zelenskyy, for his part, insists that the document is necessary to clearly define what exactly we are protecting as a nation.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [On the 975th anniversary of the Lavra, Zelenskyy announced a bill on national shrines](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/08/15/8048824/) - Подтверждает факт подписания указа, дату анонса и контекст 975-летия Лавры.
- [Sharmanasvili: There is nothing unconstitutional in the protection of national shrines](https://www.apsny.ge/2026/pol/1785243666.php) - Использован для блока «Противоречивые данные» и контекста конституционных вопросов.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When is the introduction of the status of 'national shrine' planned?
**A:** The draft law must be developed by the Cabinet of Ministers by August 24, 2026.

### Q: Which sites will receive this status?
**A:** Sites that already have the status of a monument of national significance or are included in the UNESCO list and are centers of historical memory.

### Q: Why was this initiative adopted?
**A:** In response to the systematic destruction of cultural heritage by Russia, in particular, after the strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in June 2026.