In this series of curious facts about Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra we are going to tell you about the representatives of the Monastery that were sent to St. Petersburg and Moscow with their diplomatic missions.

Did you know that after the Fire of 1718, Hieromonk and future Archimandrite of Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery Roman (Kopa in the world) fulfilled several diplomatic missions while travelling to St. Petersburg?

His task was to establish communication with influential personalities at the court of Tsar Peter I to get help in replacing burned property and reconstructing buildings on the territory of the Monastery. His other diplomatic task was to restore documents that confirmed the stauropegian status of Lavra and its right for land ownership. Among the persons who hieromonk Roman addressed were Prince Oleksandr Menshykov (who donated a couple of vestments and a surplice to the vestry of the Dormition Cathedral) and Princess Elizabeth, the future Russian Empress. It is quite possible that communication of Princess Elizabeth with the representatives of Lavra’s brotherhood paved the way to her friendship with Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery. Later, when Princess strated reigning, this fact was noted by her contemporaries.

Caption to the illustration:

1. Portrait of Archimandrite of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Roman (Copa in the world). Unknown artist of Lavra’s icon-painting workshop. Painted after 1730

Prepared by Hanna Filipova