The Kiev Pechersk Lavra is an ancient and one of the main shrines of Orthodox believers, a unique complex that has no analogues in the whole world. Here you can see temples from the 11th century preserved almost in their original form. This is the first monastery of Kievan Rus. Now every year thousands of pilgrims from all over the country and neighboring countries come here to look at the relics of the saints.
Holy Vikings
In the very center of ancient Kyiv, a crowd is noisy. Warriors, close associates of the prince, ordinary townspeople and, of course, priests - servants of the ancient Russian gods - Perun and Veles. People surrounded a strong wooden house and angrily shouted something to the owner standing in the doorway, but did not dare to approach. They know too well what he is capable of with a sword in his hands.
The owner of the house, Tur, himself comes from the Vikings, or, as they were then called, Varangians - stern warriors from the cold shores of the Baltic Sea. Accustomed to fighting since childhood, they did not value their own lives in battle, terrifying their enemies with their desperation. And now, no matter how angry the besiegers were, no one dared to approach the entrance to the house.
And the reason for their rage is that the prince’s warrior and skilled warrior did not even go against the prince... Against the gods!
Of course, recently more and more Christians have begun to appear among the residents of Kyiv; even the grandmother of the current Prince Vladimir, Princess Olga, was a Christian. And the prince’s brother, they say, also believed in Christ. But now the pagan faith, which had been weakened, is gaining strength again! Prince Vladimir himself had a hand in this. On his orders, an idol of the supreme god Perun was erected in the center of the city, and the priests started talking about old traditions: it was time to truly appease the gods and sacrifice a person to them.
The chronicle has preserved to this day the story of that event: “And the elders and boyars said: “We will cast lots on the youths and maidens; on whomever it falls, we will slaughter him as a sacrifice to the gods.”
The lot fell to the son of the prince's warrior, the Varangian Tur. Everyone expected that he would not oppose such a decision. The Varangians especially reverence the gods; their gods, Thor and Odin, are warlike and merciless. The same is required of everyone who worships them. Therefore, no Varangian will refuse such an honor - to sacrifice his heir if the gods demand it...
But when he heard that his son, John, had been given the lot, Tur just laughed:
- These are not gods, but a tree. Today it exists, but tomorrow it will rot. There is only one God. He created the heavens and the earth, the stars, the moon and the sun. He also created man and destined him to live on earth. What did these gods do? They themselves are created. I will not give my son to demons.
What a news! Is the fearless Varangian warrior really a Christian? Of course, he lived for a long time in Byzantium, served there in the army of the emperor, where many Varangians converted to Christianity... But somehow I still can’t believe it. Although there is no reason to be surprised: after all, Tur adopted a new, Christian name - Theodore, and even baptized his son with the Christian name John.
Martyrdom of Saints Theodore Varangian and his son John
The crowd goes to storm. Once, twice... But the father with a sword in his hands does not allow the attackers to approach his son. Who here said that Christianity is the faith of weaklings? Theodore decided to sacrifice himself: either protect his son, or die with him. And in a fair fight it was not easy for him to defeat even the crowd.
I had to use a trick... Theodore's house stood on pillars. The enemies cut them down, and the house collapsed, burying two Varangians - father and son, who became the first Christian martyrs of Rus'.
Where was the Kiev prince Vladimir at that time? Nothing is known about this. But the heroic death of his faithful warrior, who did not hand over his son to be torn to pieces by the priests, probably shocked the prince. More and more often, the prince began to think about choosing a different faith, about refusing bloody sacrifices. However, another ten years passed before this choice was made. Prince Vladimir himself was baptized, and then he personally cut down the idol of Perun, throwing it into the Dnieper. At the site of the death of Theodore and John, as a sign of repentance, he built the first church in Kyiv, called Tithes...
At the beginning of the twentieth century, excavations were carried out in the city center. Kyiv was destroyed many times, the city burned - from the time of Prince Vladimir, almost nothing even of stone buildings has survived. The Church of the Tithes also disappeared. But archaeologists found the destroyed foundation of that simple wooden house on pillars preserved.
Maybe it's a coincidence, or maybe something more. After all, the relics of his owners, the Viking saints Theodore and John, also rest to this day in the caves of the Kyiv Lavra.
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir
Saints of Kiev-Pechersk
20.10.2017
- Review author: Soyuz TV Channel
The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra gave birth to many ascetics of piety, who, shining with their virtues and miracles, “are worthy,” as the Monk Polycarp, Archimandrite of Pechersk, wrote, “to remain in heaven as heirs of angelic glory.
They lived an angelic life on earth, not caring about the flesh here, but as disembodied, they treated earthly things with disdain and considered everything worldly to be rubbish. Seeking Christ alone in their lives, they loved Him and became attached to Him with love and betrayed and submitted their will to Him in order to receive deification from Him. He, in reward for their labors and exploits, granted them retribution even on earth - the gifts of miracles, and in heaven he glorified them with indescribable glory.” And today, on the day of remembrance of the Council of the Reverend Fathers of the Kiev Caves, resting in the Near Caves, we bring to your attention a book published by the Siberian Blagozvonnitsa Publishing House. It is called “Saints of the Kiev-Pechersk” .
This book briefly tells about the ascetics of the Kiev-Pechersk, about the days of celebration of their memory and provides troparia and kontakions that are sung on the day of honoring each saint or an entire Council of saints.
The venerable fathers of Kiev-Pechersk, who acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit with their wondrous equal-angel life, shine with great glory on the church horizon, like stars in the sky, illuminating, blessing and praying for Holy Rus'. However, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra occupies a very special place in the history of the Russian Church: from here, from the high bank of the Dnieper, both Russian monasticism and intelligent work in Russia originate. And the founder of both was the holy Venerable Anthony of Kiev-Pechersk.
In the preface of the book we read: “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,” says the Holy Scripture (Matthew 22:32). The stream of God is full of water (Ps. 64:10) - grace given by the Mother of God. The Mother of God, staying in the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple, stood before God every minute with her mind and heart (and, of course, it is no coincidence that the Pechersk monastery had Her as its Patroness). The apostles knew about smart work and inner prayer, for the supreme apostle himself bequeathed to the followers of Christ: Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). The hermit monks of Egypt based their spiritual achievement on internal work. The teaching about mental prayer then moved to Jerusalem, and from there to Athos. Mount Athos, according to legend, is the destiny of the Mother of God, the Patroness of monasticism. The Monk Anthony, wise and enlightened by the light of Christ and having made this grace-filled work the basis of his spiritual achievement, brought it to Rus' from Mount Athos.” Thus, the spiritual sprout of Saint Athos was planted on Russian soil and found in it extremely fertile soil. He grew up on it and bore the richest spiritual fruits. Monks are deeply aware that their residence is in heaven
(Phil. 3:20) that God has given us eternal life, and this life in His Son (1 John 5:11) is Christ God Himself, that all the saved will see Him in Heavenly Jerusalem and all principality and power will be abolished . Each soul will see one Savior, and talk with Him, and rejoice, and be blissful. The image of this heavenly life on earth is monasticism. Christ-lovers put on angelic clothes and, to the best of their ability, wearing an earthly body, imitate the Angels, constantly talking with God, and their spirit is united with Christ the God in unceasing prayer. Such were the saints of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery.
The Lord glorified the Kiev-Pechersk fathers, who accepted a selfless feat in order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, with many miracles. And the Holy Church, giving them praise, pleases and glorifies them, celebrating each of them on the days of their memory. However, the memory of all the venerable fathers who rest in the Lavra caves - those who are known to church history, and those who remained known only to one God - the Church triumphs together on one day, which is called the Council of All Saints of the Kiev-Pechersk. This celebration takes place on the 2nd Sunday of Lent. The holy Kiev-Pechersk fathers asceticised and departed to eternal abodes, and their incorruptible relics, filled with grace, still rest in caves, some of which are called Near, or Antoniev, and others - Far, or Feodosiev.
Accordingly, there are also two other days of conciliar veneration of the Kiev-Pechersk saints - the Council of the Saints of the Kiev-Pechersk, resting in the Near Caves, and the Synaxis of the Saints of the Kiev-Pechersk, resting in the Far Caves. And today, October 11, we glorify the Council of the Reverend Fathers of the Kiev Caves, who rest in the Near Caves; it includes seventy-three ascetics, whose relics rest there. The relics of the founder of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, St. Anthony, also rest hidden there. Let us glorify our venerable father Anthony, the pioneer of desert life in Rus', the lamp of the Church, the mentor of monks,” writes the author and compiler of the book. Saint Anthony was originally from Lyubech, but, having an ardent desire for the angelic life, he went to Holy Mount Athos, where he took monastic vows. According to the command of God, transmitted through the abbot, the monk Anthony returned to Russia, bringing with him the blessing of the Holy Mount Athos for the establishment of angelic life in it.
In Kyiv, the Monk Anthony moved into a cave that was excavated by Presbyter Hilarion (later Metropolitan of Kiev). Here he continued the Athonite feat of strict life. Many, having learned about the holy life of the ascetic, came to him, expressing a desire to live with him. The first of them were blessed Nikon, a presbyter from distant Tmutarakan, then Theodosius, who was 23 years old, Varlaam, the son of a noble Kyiv boyar, and Ephraim, a princely eunuch. The Monk Anthony ordered Blessed Nikon to tonsure them all. Soon about 12 brethren gathered around the monk. By joint efforts, a large cave was dug, and a church and cells were built in it. When the number of brethren increased even more and life in the monastery was established according to strict monastic rules, the Monk Anthony, who invariably strived for solitude, appointed Abbot Varlaam to the brethren, and he himself retired into seclusion in a cell in the same cave, avoiding all rumors. Over time, on a hill outside the cave, a small church was erected in the name of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which served as the beginning of the great Pechersk Lavra.
In addition to those ascetics whose lives are described in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, the Cathedral of the Near Caves also includes saints, about whom only their names and days of celebration are known. The time of their life is mainly XII-XIII centuries. Their lives, even if they existed, perished during Batu’s invasion of Rus' and were not preserved. However, the Holy Church honors their memory; their relics rest together with other saints of the Near Caves. Along with the saints of the Far Caves, whose lives are described in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon, the Pechersk ascetics, unknown from their lives, are also venerated. Their memory is also celebrated on the day of the cathedral memory of all the saints of the Far Caves.
As the author and compiler of the book notes, “history has preserved many bright names of the saints of the Kiev-Pechersk. However, there were much more saints who shone on the Pechersk land than we know. This is how the author of the lives of the ascetics of the Near Caves ends his work: “Once upon a time God took Abraham out and said to him: Look at the sky and count the stars, if you can count them (Gen. 15:5). Shall we now stop the godly reader from reading the lives of these saints and what shall we tell him? Let us just say: “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you can count; Look, I say, at the caves, count the saints placed in them, if you can count them. And don’t think that there are only as many lives and names of our venerable fathers of Pechersk as you will find in this book.” With these words we can end this book.
***
“At the dawn of Christianity, the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, preaching the Gospel, arrived in the Kiev region from Greece along the Dnieper and, ascending the mountains, planted a cross on them and prophetically announced great grace in Kyiv and all of Rus'. A millennium has passed, and the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, founded by St. Anthony, became the source of Russian monasticism in all subsequent times of our history, for monasticism is the heart of the Orthodox Church, from it all church life receives grace-filled powers. And reverence for the holy saints of God, according to the publishers, takes us to another, unearthly world, makes us different, better, sanctifies our soul and body and brings us into close spiritual unity with the saints and with God Himself.”
Program “At the Bookshelf” / Soyuz TV Channel
Anthony - the father of Russian monasticism
Several more decades passed. And now Kyiv is making noise on the banks of the Dnieper. Now it is the capital of Rus', one of the largest and most powerful cities in Europe. Very little time has passed since the day when Prince Vladimir cut down the idol of Perun, but how much has changed!
There are no more bloody sacrifices, but the first Christian churches are being built. And here’s an amazing thing: following the new faith, learned people came from Byzantium, bringing writing to Rus', and then architects, icon painters... Not only church art - even simple crafts began to develop much faster.
The city has changed literally before our eyes. More and more often you can see overseas guests who have come to see the new Kyiv. But among the crowd of visiting Greeks there is a Slavic monk. By all appearances, he’s local. I just got very tanned in the southern sun.
And indeed, monk Anthony was born even north of Kyiv, in the town of Lyubech. And I got so tanned because I traveled a lot in southern countries. Even in his youth, he went to Palestine to see the places of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. And then, returning back, he stopped at a Greek monastery on Mount Athos, took monastic vows there and wanted to stay forever. But an experienced monk, his spiritual mentor, ordered Anthony to return to his homeland.
There are already a lot of monks on Mount Athos; monastic life is in full swing. But in Rus' there are still almost no monasteries. It was there that Anthony had to work hard.
He did not stay in noisy Kyiv, but he did not stray far from the capital. He chose a hill as a place for his solitude and monastic feat, where the Kiev Pechersk Lavra founded by him still stands... But the solitude did not work out.
Venerable Anthony of Pechersk
Although Anthony did not invite anyone with him, people came to him on their own. When there were twelve of them, the first church was built. Then they created a monastery. True, Anthony did not want to be its abbot; he asked to choose someone else from the brothers. And later, when there were more monks, he tried to retire again. He went to a nearby hill and dug a new cave. But only there, students began to settle around him again...
Surprisingly, today among the many saints whose relics rest in the Lavra, its founder and father of all Russian monasticism, Anthony, is not there. Having dreamed of solitude all his life, the monk was finally able to get it only after his death. Feeling that his time was near, Anthony gathered his brothers, said goodbye to them and asked them not to expose his relics for veneration.
Then he went into his cell - and the earth crumbled behind him, completely blocking the passage.
Although everyone knows approximately where the cell was located, even in our time, persistent archaeologists have not been able to excavate it and disturb the holy founder of the Lavra.
Metropolitan and brethren of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
The very first abbot of the future shrine was Theodosius, the second founder of the monastery. It was he who introduced the communal rules, was involved in the improvement of cells for the brethren, and also performed other duties. Among the abbots of the monastery who made a significant contribution to its development are also Archimandrite Ignatius, Nikon, Varlaam, Stefan.
The list of outstanding clergy is continued by Archbishops Juvenaly, John, Anthony, Metropolitans Varlaam, Joasaph, Timothy, and Viceroy Hilarion.
During the fight against the union, the Lavra was led by Innocent Gisel, Zacharia Kopystensky, Peter Mogila and Nikifor Tur.
Currently, Metropolitan Onuphry (in the world Orest Vladimirovich Berezovsky) is considered the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and holy archimandrite. Enthronement took place in August 2014.
Since March 30, 1994, Metropolitan Pavel (Peter Dmitrievich Lebed) has served as vicar here.
Yuri Dolgoruky is buried here, © Anna Kudryavtseva
Miracles every day
On Easter morning, the monk Dionysius, who was watching the monastery caves, entered one of the most remote ones. The deceased inhabitants of the monastery were buried here, which is why the place was called the Community.
- Fathers and brothers, Christ is risen! “Today is a Great Day,” Dionysius said loudly.
- Christ has truly risen! — a friendly chorus of thunderous voices suddenly rang out from the graves.
So who said that monks are all gloomy and gloomy people? So, even in their death they know how to enjoy life. And there are many such examples in the ancient book dedicated to the Kyiv monks - the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. After all, living in solitude and wearing poor clothes does not mean dooming yourself to continuous sorrow...
The Monk Prokhor received the nickname Lebednik from the brothers of the monastery, because he ate nothing but quinoa cakes, which he prepared for himself. The brothers were surprised: quinoa is impossible to eat! She's bitter! But Father Prokhor collected it himself, crushed it into flour himself, and prepared his own cakes.
The brothers admired how he suffered for the sake of faith and fasting. But after a few years, famine began, there was not enough wheat flour for everyone, and Father Prokhor began to treat others with his flatbreads. It was then that it turned out that they were... sweet and very tasty! How so? What is the secret? Several cunning brothers quietly took some of the cakes, consider it stolen. We hoped to get to know their composition better, but it didn’t work out. The stolen cakes, as befits a swan, turned out to be as bitter as wormwood.
Miracle? Or maybe it's a coincidence again? One thing the brothers understood is that this whole story is not accidental. They repented to Father Prokhor, he forgave the unlucky thieves and treated them to the same flatbreads that they brought back to him. And again they seemed delicious as never before. Without the bitter aftertaste of a bad deed.
The whole truth about Ilya Muromets
It is not appropriate for a monk to stand out from the crowd and boast about his achievements: that is why they were given simple, identical clothes. At the monastery service, everyone stands side by side, like soldiers during a parade; in the twilight of the temple it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. Only one stands out from the crowd, but there's nothing you can do about it. A head taller than everyone else, huge and strong, like the epic heroes, and he is a former hero who left military service and became a monk. Ilya, nicknamed Chobotok. They say that once his enemies caught him while he was putting on his boots, and he was able to defend himself from their swords with just one boot. Either he is from distant Murom, or from Morovsk, near Chernigov, which is much closer to Kyiv... It is not known exactly, but another nickname stuck to him over time - Muromets.
Ilya Muromets
Once he fought gloriously - his whole body was covered in wounds. But there was never anger or bloodlust in him. In his old age, he preferred the humble service of a monk to the glory of a great warrior and military ranks. Now he has a new battlefield - his own soul...
Nowadays, we know little about the real life of the great hero. One thing is certain: during his lifetime he was famous not only for his military exploits, but also for his monastic virtues - humility, prayer. It is not for nothing that after his death they began to venerate him as God’s saint, and a little later he was canonized as St. Elijah of Pechersk, or Elijah of Muromets.
In the godless Soviet years, they tried once again not to mention the fact that the epic hero had a real prototype, whose relics are kept in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. But it was then that scientific research began, which made it possible to confirm church tradition.
Reconstruction of appearance, examination of intravital wounds, complex analyzes to determine the age of the relics... All this confirmed: indeed, the Monk Elijah of Murom lived in the 11th-12th centuries, indeed, he was taller than all his contemporaries - 177 centimeters. You wouldn’t be surprised by such a height now, but at that time the average height was no more than 165 cm. And Elijah’s physique was very powerful.
Moreover, as they say in the epics, Elijah really could not walk for a long time - he suffered from leg diseases. But then he glorified himself in battles, as evidenced by numerous wounds. The Monk Elijah is depicted on the icon as a monk leaning on a sword. A warrior-hero who became a warrior of the spirit.
