Have you heard anything about the family of Borzakowsky? It was one of the famous priestly families of Polish-Lithuanian origin of Pechersk.

The names of janitors, Dymytrii and Ivashko Borzakowsky were mentioned in 1546. In 1614, Polycarp Borzakowsky received a written instruction from Elisha (Pletenetsky) to leave the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and move to Kyiv to become a clerk and mentor in Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery. He served conscientiously and that same year received the parish of St. Theodosius Church in Pechersk as well as land holdings. His descendants (Oleksii, Vasyl and Dymytrii) were priests of St. Theodosius Church during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. In 1763, Dymytrii Borzakowsky asked Archimandrite Zosima (Valkevych) for the permission to be buried at the Great Church of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Dymytrii’s aunt, Theodosiya Oleksiivna, was a nun in the Ascension Monastery, located opposite St. Theodosius Church. In 1716, Queen Catherine I wrote the letter to Theodosia Oleksiivna and sent 5 rubles to her.

Caption to the illustration:

1. St. Theodosius Church. Postcard of the early 20^th century.

Hanna Filipova