Holy Lavra Gates

Did you know that Holy Lavra Gates were Alpha and Omega for the monks of Pechersk monastery? They went through the Gates to get to Lavra monastery for the first time and they started out through them for their final journey, accompanied by its brethren.

In February 1826, Archimandrite Anthony (Smyrnytsky), Father Superior of Lavra, left the Monastery in the state of grief. Ordained Bishop of Voronezh and Cherkasy, he was to get to the Episcopal Cathedral in Voronezh.

Long road and cold winter undermined hierarch’s health. But he felt happy about that and asked to be removed from his rank without delay and be returned to Lavra. At the same time, he emphasized that he did not intend to take the position of the governor, which he had just left. Reverend Anthony expressed his readiness to become a “gatekeeper at the Holy Lavra Gates”.

Unfortunately, his first as well as next two requests to return to Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra were rejected. Archbishop of Voronezh and Zadonsk was no longer destined to pass through the Holy Lavra Gates to get to the Monastery.

The dreams of His Eminence Anthony have left to be his dreams, not ours. Though, what still unites us, is the Holy Lavra land...

Natalia Lytvyn

Captions to the illustrations:

1. His Eminence Anthony (Smyrnytsky), Archbishop of Voronezh and Zadonsk (From the Fund collection of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”, inv. № KPL-Gr-1421)