Did you know that:

facades of many churches of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, as well as its gates in the past were decorated with paintings? For the monastery and its pilgrims, the depicted themes had patronal and protective meaning.

Here are some examples.

St. Nicholas Sviatosha, the legendary founder of the Hospital Monastery was depicted on the northern frontal of the Monastery Gate (Fig. 1). Meanwhile a pictorial image of the Holy Trinity was painted on its reverse, southern frontal (Fig. 2).

One of the Lavra saints was painted in the cartouche of the western frontal of the Gate leading to Klyroshanska Street (in 1914 this was reflected in the watercolor by the famous artist Mstyslav Dobuzhynsky) (Fig. 3).

A venerated icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was pictured in the passage of the Economic Gate. According to Fedir Tytov, the image was similar to an engraving with St. Nicholas published in the Lavra Akathists edition of 1629 (Fig. 4).

A pictorial image of the Dormition of the Mother of God miraculous icon, held by angels, has been preserved to this day on the southern facade of the South Gate (Fig. 5).

Picture captions:

1. Northern facade of the Gate of the Hospital Monastery. Photo of the early 20^th century.

2. Southern facade of the Gate of the Hospital Monastery. Photo of the 1930s.

3. Mstyslav Dobuzhinsky. Gate to Klyroshanska Street. 1914

4. Theoretical reconstruction. Olena Lopukhina

5. South Gate. Modern photo.

The text was prepared by Yaroslav Lytvynenko and Olena Lopukhina