Revival of monastic life in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Dear friends!

Starting from this week, we begin to acquaint you with one of the most important events in the life of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, that is, the revival of monastic life in its territory in the 1980s.

It is known that Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery underwent two closures during the 20th century. They happened in the late 1920s and early 1960s. We have already told you about the first revival of the Monastery in winter, 1941–1942 and its life during the second World War and post-war periods. Those releases have appeared on the Preserve’s website earlier this year (see issue №34 and issue №35).

Almost three decades have passed since monks were accused of violating the Lease and Protection Agreement. As a result, they were evicted from Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on February 28, 1961, by  the Decision of Kyiv City Executive Committee. Monks returned back to Lavra on May 31, 1988, on the eve of the celebrations commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Christianization of the Kyivan Rus. Then, Vitalij Masol, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR, signed a resolution that transferred the territory of the Far Caves to the monastery. As a result, a lot of sites were delivered into the possession of the Ukrainian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church (former name of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church). Among them there were thirteen objects (with their total area of ​​3.5 hectares) as well as Theodosius’ (Far) Caves, three underground churches, two above-ground churches, a bell tower, seven buildings, a cemetery, and a fortress wall and wells.

On June 16, 1988, Divine Liturgy was served on the territory of the Far Caves. It was for the first time in almost twenty eight years. Several days later, on June 25, 1988, the first representatives of the monastic fraternity settled in the building on the territory of the Far Caves. That day is considered to be the revival of Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery. The Most Reverend Ioanafan (Yeletsky), now Metropolitan of Tulchyn and Bratslav, was appointed the Governor of the restored monastery.

On October 11, that same year, Annozachatiivskа Church was consecrated. It gave start to the worship services there. On October 28, 1988, the first monastic vows was performed in the Theodosius Caves of the revived monastery.

The next release of “Memories of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” photo project will be dedicated to the events that took place in the life of the revived monastery in 1989.

Captions to the illustrations:

1-3. Delivery of documents on the transfer of the part of the territory of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to the Monastery. Standing in the center, in the 1st photo: Mykola Kolesnyk, Chairman of the Council on Religion under the Council of Ministers of the USSR; to his right: Exarch of Ukraine, Metropolitan Filaret of Kyiv and Halych; Robert Rancy, Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of Canterbury, Primate of All England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and representatives of the ROC episcopate. The first on the left: Yu. Kibalnyk director of Kyiv-Pechersk State Historical and Cultural Preserve. June 7, 1988

4-6. Divine Liturgy in the square in front of the entrance to the Far Caves. June 16,1988

7-9. Pilgrims during the liturgy service. June 16, 1988

10-11. Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. August 28,1988

12. Feast of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk. September 15, 1988. In the center with a pointer - the Most Reverend Ioanafan (Yeletsky), the Governor of the monastery. The third on the right - monk Theodosius (Ivashchenko, now - the bishop of Seattle, the vicar of San Francisco diocese), the second - monk Arseniy (Romanenko)

13. The first monastic vows in the revived Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. In the foreground - Hieromonk Anthony (Novitsky, now Archimandrite). In the background and on the left: hieromonk Stefan (Nescheret, now archbishop of Gomel and Zhlobin); on the right - monk Damian (Davydov, now Archbishop of Fastiv, vicar of the Kyiv diocese). October, 27/28, 1988

14. Lavra Brotherhood. October 11, 1988