In 1096 the monastery was plundered by theCumans. Later it fell victim to theMongolian invaders, and in 1416 was burned down by forces ofGolden Horde rulerEdigey, being rebuilt only in 1470.[5]
In the 17th century, under the leadership ofarchimandritesEliseus Pletenetsky,Zacharias Kopystensky andPeter Mohyla, the monastery stood at the heart of Ukrainian national identity.Kyiv Caves Patericon, which was created by Lavra's monks and soon became a popular reading around the wholeEastern Europe, contributed to the emergence of the symbolic image of Kyiv as a capital ofEastern Orthodoxy. Lavra's printing house, established by Pletenetskyi in the 1620s, started the process of Kyiv's cultural revival, and the monastery's school, founded by Mohyla, introduced European educational trends of the time, leading to a radical reform of education. During theBaroque era Kyiv Pechersk Lavra flourished as a centre of arts and spirituality, and pilgrimage to Kyiv was seen by some as more preferable than visitingJerusalem.[5]
According to a legend published bypolemicist and preacherJoannicius Galiatovsky [uk], in 1630 the monastery was besieged by a Polish army, but theHoly Mother of God protected its monks by turning a "fiery rain" against the invaders.[7]
Under Russian rule, Pechersk Lavra became a popular place of mass pilgrimage for both the common folk and figures of authority, including the royal family. During the late 19th century numerous guides for pilgrims visiting the monastery were published in Tsarist Russia, contributing to its inclusion into the empire's symbolic space. Among prominent figures buried in Lavra's walls under the Russian rule areNatalia Dolgorukova,Pyotr Rumyantsev andPyotr Stolypin.[8][5]
During theUkrainian Revolution of the early 20th century attempts toUkrainize the Lavra failed due to political instability.[8] On 25 January 1918 MetropolitanVladimir of Kiev was tortured and murdered in the monastery byBolshevik troops. Eventually, the monastery was disbanded, and in 1926 a museum was opened on its territory.[5] UnderGerman occupation religion services in the monastery were resumed.[8]On 3 November 1941 the mainDormition Cathedral was blown up by SovietNKVD; Soviet press would falsely accuse the Germans of committing that act. The demolition of the cathedral's ruins continued into the 1960s. After a long period of reconstruction, on 24 August 2000 the reconstructed Dormition Cathedral was solemnly reopened.[5]
Starting from the end of theSecond World War, the monastery resumed its activities as part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Over 100 monks lived on Lavra's premises until its new closure by the authorities in 1961.[9]
In 1988 activities of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra were renewed as part of celebrations dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of theChristianization of Kievan Rus'. During the early 1990s the monastery was headed by metropolitanFilaret of Kyiv, whose residence was located on its premises. However, in 1992 ownership over the Lavra was transferred to theUkrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) with the support ofKyiv's political leadership.[8] Under the management of the Moscow Patriarchate Lavra became an epicentre of several scandals connected with its leadership's love for expensive cars and other attributes of wealth, as well as its monks' connections to RussianFSB, veneration of TsarNicholas II and spread ofanti-Ukrainian propaganda.[5]
Together with theSaint Sophia Cathedral, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra has been inscribed as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 1990.[10][nb 1] The monastery complex is considered a separate national historic-cultural preserve (sanctuary), the national status to which was granted on 13 March 1996.[12] The Lavra is not only located in another part of the city, but is part of a different national sanctuary than Saint Sophia Cathedral. While being a cultural attraction, the monastery is once again active, with over 100 monks in residence.[citation needed] It was named one of theSeven Wonders of Ukraine on 21 August 2007.[citation needed]
Until the end of 2022, jurisdiction over the site had been divided between the state museum, National Kyiv-Pechersk Historic-Cultural Preserve,[13] and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) (UOC-MP) as the site of the chief monastery of that Church and the residence of its leader,Onufrius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine.[14][15] In January 2023, the Ukrainian government terminated the UOC-MP's lease of the Dormition Cathedral and the Refectory Church (also known as the Trapezna Church), returning those properties to direct state control.[16][17] It also announced that theOrthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) had been granted permission to celebrate a Christmas service in the Dormition Cathedral, on 7 January 2023, Orthodox Christmas by the Old Calendar,[17] a service which was celebrated by MetropolitanEpiphanius at 9am that day.[18]
On 10 March 2023, the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historic-Cultural Preserve announced that the 2013 agreement on the free use of churches by the UOC-MP would be terminated on the grounds that the church had violated their lease by making alterations to the historic site, and other technical infractions.[19][20] The UOC-MP was ordered to leave the territory by 29 March.[20] The UOC-MP answered back that there were no legal grounds for the eviction and called it "a whim of officials from theMinistry of Culture."[20] On 17 March 2023Dmitry Peskov, thepress secretary for Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, stated that the decision of the Ukrainian authorities not to extend this lease to representatives of the UOC-MP "confirms the correctness" of the(24 February 2022) Russian invasion of Ukraine.[20] The UOC-MP did not fully leave Kyiv Pechersk Lavra following 29 March 2023.[21][22]
On 23 July 2025 a religious service inUkrainian language, the first of that kind in many years, was performed in the Far Caves of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra by Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv.[8]
Icon of Saints Anthony andTheodosius, founders of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
TheNear Caves of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. Sketch by the Dutch artist Abraham van Westerveld made in 1651
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra contains numerous architectural monuments, ranging frombell towers to cathedrals to cave systems and to strong stonefortification walls. The main attractions of the Lavra include theGreat Lavra Belltower, and theDormition Cathedral, destroyed in fighting the GermansWorld War II, and fully reconstructed in the 1990s after the fall of Soviet Union by Ukraine.
Other churches and cathedrals of the Lavra include: theRefectory Church, the Church of All Saints, theChurch of the Saviour at Berestove, the Church of the Exaltation of Cross, the Church of the Trinity, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, the Church of the Conception of St. Anne, and the Church of the Life-Giving Spring. The Lavra also contains many other constructions, including: the St. Nicholas Monastery, the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, and the Debosquette Wall.[citation needed]
The Great Lavra Belltower is one of the most notable features of the Kyiv skyline and among the main attractions of the Lavra. 96.5 meters in height, it was the tallest free-standing belltower at the time of its construction in 1731–1745, and was designed by the architectJohann Gottfried Schädel. It is aClassical style construction and consists oftiers, surmounted by agildeddome.[citation needed]
Built in the 11th century, the main church of the monastery was destroyed during theWorld War II, a couple of months after the Nazi Germany troops occupied the city ofKyiv, during which the Soviet Union conducted the controversial1941 Khreshchatyk explosions. Withdrawing Soviet troops practiced the tactics ofscorched earth and blew up all the Kyiv bridges overDnieper as well as the main Khreshchatyk street and Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.[37] The destruction of the cathedral followed a pattern of Soviet disregard for cultural heritage, as they previously blew up the ancientSt. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery nearby in the 1930s.[38]
In 1928, the monastery was converted into an anti-religious museum park by the Soviet authorities and after their return no efforts were provided to restore the church. The temple was finally restored in 1995 after Ukraine obtained its independence and the construction was accomplished in two years. The new Dormition Church was consecrated in 2000.[37]
The Gate Church of the Trinity is located atop the Holy Gates, which houses the entrance to the monastery. According to a legend, this church was founded by theChernihivPrinceSviatoslav II. It was built atop anancient stone church which used to stand in its place.After the fire of 1718, the church was rebuilt, its revered facades and interior walls enriched with ornate stucco work made by craftsman V. Stefaovych.In the 18th century, a new gilded pear-shaped dome was built, the facade and exterior walls were decorated with stucco-moulded plant ornaments and a vestibule built of stone attached to the north end. In the early 20th century, the fronts and the walls flanking the entrance were painted by icon painters under the guidance of V. Sonin. The interior of the Gate Trinity Church contains murals by the early 18th century painter Alimpy Galik.[citation needed]
Refectory chambers with Church of the Saints Anthony and Theodosius
The refectory chambers with the Church of the Saints Anthony and Theodosius is the third in a series of temples. The original temple was built in the 12th century and no drawings or visual depictions of it remain. The second temple was built at the time of theCossack Hetmanate and was disassembled by the Russian authorities in the 19th century. It was replaced with the current temple, often referred to as the Refectory Church of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.[citation needed]
The All Saints Church, erected in 1696–1698, is a fine specimen of Ukrainian baroque architecture. Characteristic of the church facades are rich architectural embellishments. In 1905, students of the Lavra art school painted the interior walls of the church. The carved wooden iconostasis is multi-tiered and was made for the All Saints church in the early 18th century.[citation needed]
The Church of the Saviour at Berestove is located to the North of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. It was constructed in the village of Berestove around the start of the 11th century during the reign of PrinceVladimir Monomakh. It later served as the mausoleum of the Monomakh dynasty, also includingYuri Dolgoruki, the founder of Moscow. Despite being outside the Lavra fortifications, the Church of the Saviour at Berestove is part of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex.[citation needed]
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra caverns are a system of narrow underground corridors (about 1-1½ metres wide and 2-2½ metres high), along with numerous living quarters and underground chapels. In 1051, the monkAnthony settled in an old cave in a hill near the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. This cave received additions including corridors and a church, and is now theFar Caves. In 1057, Anthony moved to a cave near the Upper Lavra, now called theNear Caves.[citation needed]
Foreign travellers in the 16th–17th centuries wrote that the catacombs of the Lavra stretched for hundreds of kilometres, reaching as far as Moscow andNovgorod,[39] spreading awareness of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.[citation needed]
The notable library of the Lavra was burned during the reign ofPeter the Great. On the night of April 21-22, 1718, Orthodox monks — tsarist agents — set fire to the premises of the Lavra, where its library and archive with unique documents and books from the historical past of Ukraine were located.
In 1988, after the restoration of the monastery's activities, library work was resumed. The funds began to be replenished with those publications that the Lavra monks and parishioners managed to save. New books began to be purchased, and some of the books that began to be published by the Lavra printing house restored in 1995 were transferred to the library.
Over 20 years of activity after the revival of the monastery, more than 10 thousand volumes were collected. In 2008, the library was moved to premises that allow the best placement and organization of library funds. Accounting and cataloging of the Lavra library funds were digitized.
St. Spyridon – in the caves (c. 19th–20th century)
Pope Clement I – his head in the Far Caves (his remaining relics brought to San Clemente in Rome by Sts. Cyril and Methodius)
During theSoviet era, the bodies of the saints that lay in the caves were left uncovered due to the regime's disregard for religion. However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the bodies were covered with a cloth and to this day remain in the same state.[citation needed]
Imperishable relic of saintIlya Muromets in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Eastern Orthodox pilgrim in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra – women must cover their head when entering the lavra.
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is one of the largest museums in Kyiv. The exposition is the actual ensemble of the Upper (Near Caves) and Lower (Far Caves) Lavra territories, which house many architectural relics of the past. The collection within the churches and caves includes articles of precious metal, prints, higher clergy portraits and rare church hierarchy photographs.[41] The main exposition contains articles from 16th to early 20th centuries, which includechalices,crucifixes, and textiles from 16th–19th centuries, with needlework andembroidery of Ukrainian masters. The remainder of the collection consists of pieces from the Lavra's Printing House and the Lavra's Icon Painting Workshop.[41]
The museum provides tours of thecatacombs, which contain remains of Eastern Orthodox saints or their relics. The Caves are of geological interest because they are excavated intoloess ground. They form one of the most extensive occurrences of loess caves in the world.[citation needed]
^Late 2010 a monitoring mission ofUNESCO was visiting the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to check on situation of the site. At the time theMinister of CultureMykhailo Kulynyak stated the historic site along with theSaint Sophia Cathedral was not threatened by the "black list" of the organisation.[11] TheWorld Heritage Committee of UNESCO decided in June 2013 that Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, and St. Sofia Cathedral and related monastery buildings would remain on theWorld Heritage List.[10]
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