Pechersk Lavra

The whole country of Ukraine and especially its capital Kyiv are worldwide known for their magnificent churches and monasteries that have huge importance for this Christian nation. But one of the most significant ones among all of them is Pechersk Lavra. 

Its name is a combination of “pecherska” which means “made of caves” and “lavra” which means “senior monastery”. This is an Eastern Orthodox Christian Monastery with plenty of history upon its back. By the name of this sacred place, a whole district was given a name. Of course, it’s the one that this monastery is situated in. 

Alongside Saint Sophias’ Cathedral, Pechersk Lavra is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Those two fascinating sanctuaries are a little bit different though. Although it has existed since 1051 after it was founded by the Greek St. Anthony, the monastery gained a national sanctuary status in 1996 which also differentiates from the one that St. Sophias’ Cathedral has. Even though the monastery is a tourist attraction nowadays, it still has over 100 monks at disposal inside the residence. An interesting fact that dates from 2007 shows that this historic building was named in the top 7 wonders of Ukraine which was established by the Internet community and a few experts. Today, the competency of the monastery is separated into 3 parts as it is the residence of its current leader, Onufrius who is an honorable Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine. So, besides it possesses the status of Historic-Cultural Preserve, it also has the status of the state museum and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Situated in greenery hills above the Dnipro River, this breathtaking facility is a jewel of every persons’ gallery collection. Everyone who manages to take a picture of it values it as a diamond. That is all-natural because of its immense impact on history and religion throughout the past, but also the present. 

The biggest tourist attraction of the monastery is its several golden domes that are visible from larger distances due to the size of the complete facility. Something that you can expect after coming here is a lot of pilgrims. They often come to this holy place to pray. Also, this monastery is considered by them the holiest religious site in the country. However, there is a thing that many visitors often neglect. Some underground catacombs and labyrinths were dug by the founder of this sanctuary and his followers. Those places hidden from public eyes have a purpose. They are made to provide monks a peaceful place to pray, live, and study. And even more fascinating are the mummies of those monks that have been naturally preserved by the low temperature below the ground. As those bodies are visible today, it represents proof for believers that those people were indeed holy.