Kiev Ukraine Kiev Pechersk Lavra

overview

The Kiev Pechersk monastery ensemble (later the lavra, as the largest and richest monasteries were usually called) took shape over a period of nine centuries and consists of the Upper Part and the Nearer and Further Caves.

Kiev Ukraine Kiev Pechersk Lavra views

The Kiev Pechersk monastery arose in the eleventh century on the site of the Further Caves, where the underground Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and a number of cells were built. A little later an above-ground wooden church was erected. The Kiev Pechersk monastery's popularity grew from year to year.

Kiev Ukraine Kiev Pechersk Lavra views

In the second half of the eleventh century Prince Iziaslav, son of Yaroslav the Wise, gave up a large parcel of land to it, and another of his sons, Sviatoslav, gave a hundred grivny of gold (about sixteen kilograms), quite a significant sum at that time.

Kiev Ukraine Kiev Pechersk Lavra inner views

In 1926 the Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra was declared a state historical and cultural museum. At present there are a number of museums on its territory. It is a museum of Ukrainian traditional decorative art with large collections of pottery, embroidery, weaving, carpetry, and national costumes.

Kiev Ukraine Kiev Pechersk Lavra inner view

A museum of historical treasures contains unique articles of jewelry from ancient times to the nineteenth century; a museum of theatre art, with a large collection of models, scene sketches, and costumes by Ukrainian stage designers; and a museum of books and printing, containing ancient eleventh- and twelfth-century manuscripts and printed books from the sixteenth century to the present.

Kiev Ukraine Kiev Pechersk Lavra inner views