He was born not far from Chernihiv in 983. Since his youth, he wanted to become a monk, and he took monastic vows at Holy Mount Athos. With the blessing of his elder, after becoming a skillful ascetic, the Venerable Anthony returned to his Motherland, where he became the founder of monasticism and of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery.

The humble cave monastery soon grew in size and formed that renowned spiritual school out of which hosts of monastic fathers and holy hierarchs came over the course of hundreds of years and which has had a tremendous impact upon the shaping of the soul and character of our people and its history and culture from the times of princes of Rus' to present days.
Monks are the salt of the earth, the vanguard of the army of Christ, who oppose evil. It must be for this reason that the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has always shared the fate of its people. The monastery was burned, plundered, blown up, and closed down, and was turned into an abomination of desolation, but each time, this Domain of the Most Holy Theotokos recovered with new grandeur and beauty.

I believe that it will be so this time as well. The Lavra will never disappear, for it is protected by the Queen of Heaven Herself and the prayers of hundreds of saints, first and foremost of its founder, the Venerable Anthony of the Kyiv Caves.
Today, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, celebrates his name day.

In these most hard times, for his faithfulness to God, the Church, and the people of God, His Eminence is under tremendous pressure, is subjected to slander, and is going through the temptation of betrayal. Nevertheless, he overcomes everything humbly and always remains a calm and spiritually strong hierarch, who bears his cross worthily. Together with His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, Metropolitan Anthony is one of the pillars of canonical Orthodoxy on our long-suffering Ukrainian land, and he inspires millions of believers by his good example.

I am sincerely proud to be able to call Metropolitan Anthony my friend. I wholeheartedly wish him to keep getting help in everything from the Lord, as well as to keep being supported and given strength and inspiration by Him.

Many years of your gracious ministry of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His Holy Church, Your Eminence! Happy name day!