Auction for Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra orchads’ leasing

Did you know that Metropolitan Platon of Kyiv and Halych (Gorodetsky) initiated public auction for the lease of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra orchads?

Prior to the changes proposed by the Metropolitan in the late 1880’s, it was Lavra’s housekeeper who was in search of potential lease takers of Lavra’s orchards and, if found, invited them to participate in the auction. The latter took place in the meeting room of the Ecclesiastic Council. However, due to the persistent recommendation of Metropolitan Platon (Gorodetsky) the decision was taken to place the announcement of the following content in three consecutive issues of “Kyivlyanin” newspaper in 1887. It went as follows: “The Ecclesiastic Council decided on June 1 to announce an open auction aimed at finding Christian believers who would be interested in harvesting fruits in such Lavra’s lands as Pechersk, Lybid, Kytayivsky, Sambursky and Velyko-Orikhovatsky orchards as well as Kytayivska honey farm”. Such advertising costed 4 rubles for the Monastery.

Announcements of the auction were published annually (during 1887-1917 period) in three close-to-the-event issues of “Kyivlyanin” newspaper. Since 1913, auction announcements began appearing in “Kyivska Mysl” newspaper. In 1918, information about the auction in Lavra’s orchards was published in such newspapers as “Kyivska Mysl”, “Posledniye Novosti”, and “Kyiv Holos”.

The publication of the information about the auctions in mass media contributed to the publicity and transparency of such type of an event. Besides, it expanded the range of potential lease takers, raised the level of auction competition and its emotional pitch. The passions having been subsided, everybody was invited to have a cup of tea with sugar at the expense of “the house” (Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra).

Natalia Lytvyn

Captions to the illustrations:

1. Metropolitan Platon of Kyiv and Halych (Gorodetsky)

2. Auction announcement about Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra orchards’ leasing on “Kyivlyanin” newspaper pages. 1898