Did you know that monks of Mezhyhirya monastery sometimes attacked Lavra’s landed estates?

From 1733 to 1741, a flock of trumps led by monk Matthew, carried out armed attacks on the lands around Lavra’s mill. The lands were located in Mezhyhirska Pushcha on Gorenka River. Those were the estates of several monasteries, including Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Mezhyhirya and Bratsk priories. Periodically, locals and miller Taras (who was repeatedly beaten by the attackers) suffered from those clashes. Moreover, Lavra accused Mezhyhirya monastery of constant raids on their forests located in the same area.They weresystematically cut down.To add, trumps werespotted in stealing wood, intended for the mill repairing works.

Captions to the illustrations:

1. Symbolic image of Mezhyhirya on the map of Kyiv province (18^th c.)

2. Mezhyhirya monastery drawn by Taras Shevchenko. 1843

Hanna Filipova