TL20120715MonasteryCaves

The Monastery of the Caves

The Cave Monastery spreads over two rolling hills southeast of the center of Kiev, and locates
along the banks of the Dnieper River. The Monastery of the Caves (Kiev Percherska Lavra) is an
active, functioning monastery compound containing restored churches and towers, as well as a
printing works and miles of maze-like underground tunnels where ancient crypts hold
ecclesiastical treasures.

This was for many centuries the most famous monastery in historical Kievan-Rus and the former
Russian Empire. Here, Orthodox Christians from throughout Europe traveled on pilgrimages that
led many to compare Kiev to Rome as a religious destination. The monks Antony and Feodosiy
founded the monastery in 1051 with the goal of spreading the Christian religion. Monks
worshipped and lived in the caves and were buried there. The mixture of the cool cave
temperatures and humid atmosphere left many of the dead monks mummified. Today, visitors to
the caves and museums can view several of the mummified monks.