(Kiev, Ukraine)
One of the highlights of our stay in Kiev is something I’d decided to save for the end of our trip. Along with Saint Sophia Cathedral, this landmark is also included on the UNESCO World Heritage site list. It certainly piqued my interest when a friend of ours explained that we could go into underground caves and that these contain catacombs. So we ventured on what promised to be an interesting and eerie experience.
The Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a special type of monastery and part of the Lavra system. Lavras generally feature a cluster of underground caves (providing a space for monks’ hermitage), a church and sometimes a refectory at the center. The Kiev Pechersk Lavra is a massive cathedral complex that includes two cave systems that you can visit, as well as 10 churches, several bell towers and a strong fortification wall. It was founded as a cave monastery in 1051 and since then has been a prominent center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. This monastery is currently active and home to over 100 monks.
The main church of the monastery is Dormition Cathedral, built in the 11th Century. It was destroyed during World War II a couple of months after the Nazi German troops occupied Kiev during what’s known as the 1941 Khreshchatyk Explosions that destroyed the city’s main street. According to Wikipedia, this event is controversial as the soviets blamed the advancing German troops for the destruction of the church and the Germans blamed the retreating soviet troops, who had blown up the bridges over the Dnieper River. The Cathedral was finally reconstructed in 1995 and consecrated as the new Dormition Cathedral in 2000.
The Great Lavra Bell Tower was the tallest building in Kiev at the time it was constructed which took place between 1731 – 1745. There are beautiful views all around, particularly of the gold-domed churches and the Motherland Statue, and also features a great view of the Dnieper River.
Walking through the cave system, the only light you are able to navigate by is candle light – of which you can either buy or stick close behind someone who is carrying one. The passageway is very narrow with a low-ceiling and felt a little claustrophobic at first. But then I soon realized that I was walking among serious worshippers and pilgrims and it soon turned into a reverent, rather than an eerie, atmosphere. There were walls containing the relics of saints and monks covered in a cloth and sealed in glass coffins with the person’s painted picture hanging above. Sometimes the space was too narrow to pass anybody so at times, we needed to wait patiently behind people who would stop and pray at every picture and coffin.
The Lavra is definitely a full day’s visit. This was my favorite church to visit in Kiev. The inside of the cathedrals and churches is beautiful, with many Greek Orthodox style paintings and ornate gilded-gold interiors. We spent most of the day here and only saw a bell tower, two churches, and two cave systems (unfortunately, no photos were allowed to be taken inside). The Dormition Cathedral is richly painted and filled with light. The painting and woodwork are stunning and well worth your time. There is also a section just inside the front door that appears to be a reconstruction of the original church, but I could not find any good information about that particular section. The Refectory Church interior is painted in a completely different style – the colors are much darker. The lack of columns under the dome, however, make the space feel immense and the darker colors do not feel oppressive.
If you’d like to go into the caves and some of the churches, it is advised to dress conservatively. For women, this includes a head scarf and a skirt that is below knee-length and a sleeved shirt (no tank tops). For men, long pants is recommended. If you arrive but aren’t suitably dressed, you can borrow or rent these items but you may not look super fashionable for your selfies.
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