Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Ukrainian: Києво-Печерська лавра; Russian: Киево-Печерская лавра), also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is an ancient cave monastery in Kiev. It was founded in 1051 by monks Anthony and Theodosius, and has become an important center of Orthodox Christianity in Kievan Rus'.

Currently, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra also serves as the residence of Metropolitan Volodymyr (Viktor Sabodan), the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The word pechera means cave in Slavic languages. The word lavra is used to describe high ranking monasteries of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Therefore the name of the monastery is also translated as Kiev Cave Monastery, Kiev Caves Monastery or the Kiev Monastery on the Caves (на печерах).

According to the Primary Chronicle, in the early 11th century, Antony, a Greek Orthodox monk from Esphigmenon monastery on Mount Athos, originally from Liubech of the Grand Principality of Chernigov, returned to Rus' and settled in Kiev as a missionary of monastic tradition to Kievan Rus'. He chose a cave at the Berestov Mount that overlooked the Dnieper river and a community of disciples soon grew. Knyaz (prince) Iziaslav of Kiev ceded the whole mount to the Antonite monks who founded a monastery built by architects from Constantinople.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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