Join us on a tour following the footsteps of Petro Mohyla and Ivan Mazepa, combining the architectural greatness of the Upper Lavra with the sacred space of the Near Caves, where the monastery’s history began (the story started in the Far Caves, where the Venerable Anthony first settled).
You will learn how the first monks settled in the caves in the 11th century and how the monastic community eventually became a major spiritual and cultural center of Ukraine.
You will visit an exhibition dedicated to the history of the Lavra’s caves and the Assumption Cathedral, where you will hear a story about the main saints of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Next, you’ll head to the Near Caves — hand-built labyrinths where marble columns from the Prince’s era have been preserved in the underground churches. Here, you’ll discover the final resting place of the cave saints, including the physician Agapit, the icon painter Alipius, and the defender of Ukrainian lands, Ilya Murovets.
At the end of the tour, you will visit the Church of Saints Anthony and Theodosius and view the works of the outstanding Ukrainian artist Ivan Yizhakevych, who began his artistic career right here at the Lavra.