08 March 2026
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, the Holy Church prayerfully glorifies the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Caves.
For every Orthodox person, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is not just an ancient monastery and not only a historical monument. It is the spiritual heart of our land, the place where Saints Anthony and Theodosius lit the lamp of incessant prayer almost a thousand years ago.
Generations of monks carried out the feat of humility and ministry to God here thenceforth. In the Near and Far Caves, the relics of hundreds of God-pleasers rest — of those who showed with their entire lives that holiness is possible, and that man is truly called to life with God.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra became the bedrock of the spiritual tradition whence the entire Orhodox culture of our land grew. The faith of the people, their moral pillar and spiritual memory were formed here.
But the history of the Lavra is not only a history of sanctity. It is also a history of hard trials.
In the previous century, militant atheism declared war on the Church. The monastery was closed, the monks were expelled, many of them went through camps and exiles. The holy relics of the venerable Fathers were opened and demonstrated as museum exhibits, in an attempt to desecrate holy things and destroy faith in the hearts of people.
Prayer seemed to have fallen silent within these walls forever.
Yet history showed: persecutors disappear, but a shrine remains. The godless system became history, while the Lavra again became a living monastery, where prayer and monastic life returned.
And that is why today we see with deep pain the pages of that tragic history starting to repeat themselves.
The monks — the rightful heirs of the spiritual tradition of the elders of the Kyiv Caves — are deprived of their monastery. The doors of ancient churches are closed. There are again attempts to regard the holy caves and the relics of the venerable Fathers not as sacred things but as 'cultural heritage' and museum exhibits.
But holiness cannot be turned into a museum.
The venerable Fathers cannot be deprived of their heavenly glory and their prayerful intercession.
The matter reaches absurdity: even saints are started to be divided nowadays —into 'ours' and 'not ours'. This one, they say, is from Murom, and that one is from Novgorod — hence, he is alien to us.
But are saints divided in respect of language, passport, or frontiers in Heaven? Do our earthly wars continue there?
No. There are neither politicians nor borders nor enmity there. There is a unity of love, common prayer, and the fullness of the grace of God there.
Everyone is alive for God. And our people are not only those who live on earth today, divided by lies and politics. Not only those who have been engulfed by the insanity of the fratricidal war. They are also those who lived before us and who will live after us.
And today, we ought to have our saints as an example. To look for ways to stop the mutual bloodshed. To seek peace and concord. And if we are incapable of building paradise in our land, God grant that we at least do not turn it into hell.
We believe that the venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Caves, who have protected this holy monastery with their prayer for nearly a thousand years, have yet to say their word, and the Truth of God will inevitably be triumphant.
On the day of their bright memory, we turn to them with ardent prayer. We ask for their intercession before the Throne of God for our long-suffering land, for the persecuted Church, for the brotherhood of the holy monastery, and for all people who seek consolation and truth.
Happy feast!
All related news Today, the Holy Church prayerfully glorifies the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Caves.
For every Orthodox person, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is not just an ancient monastery and not only a historical monument. It is the spiritual heart of our land, the place where Saints Anthony and Theodosius lit the lamp of incessant prayer almost a thousand years ago.
Generations of monks carried out the feat of humility and ministry to God here thenceforth. In the Near and Far Caves, the relics of hundreds of God-pleasers rest — of those who showed with their entire lives that holiness is possible, and that man is truly called to life with God.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra became the bedrock of the spiritual tradition whence the entire Orhodox culture of our land grew. The faith of the people, their moral pillar and spiritual memory were formed here.
But the history of the Lavra is not only a history of sanctity. It is also a history of hard trials.
In the previous century, militant atheism declared war on the Church. The monastery was closed, the monks were expelled, many of them went through camps and exiles. The holy relics of the venerable Fathers were opened and demonstrated as museum exhibits, in an attempt to desecrate holy things and destroy faith in the hearts of people.
Prayer seemed to have fallen silent within these walls forever.
Yet history showed: persecutors disappear, but a shrine remains. The godless system became history, while the Lavra again became a living monastery, where prayer and monastic life returned.
And that is why today we see with deep pain the pages of that tragic history starting to repeat themselves.
The monks — the rightful heirs of the spiritual tradition of the elders of the Kyiv Caves — are deprived of their monastery. The doors of ancient churches are closed. There are again attempts to regard the holy caves and the relics of the venerable Fathers not as sacred things but as 'cultural heritage' and museum exhibits.
But holiness cannot be turned into a museum.
The venerable Fathers cannot be deprived of their heavenly glory and their prayerful intercession.
The matter reaches absurdity: even saints are started to be divided nowadays —into 'ours' and 'not ours'. This one, they say, is from Murom, and that one is from Novgorod — hence, he is alien to us.
But are saints divided in respect of language, passport, or frontiers in Heaven? Do our earthly wars continue there?
No. There are neither politicians nor borders nor enmity there. There is a unity of love, common prayer, and the fullness of the grace of God there.
Everyone is alive for God. And our people are not only those who live on earth today, divided by lies and politics. Not only those who have been engulfed by the insanity of the fratricidal war. They are also those who lived before us and who will live after us.
And today, we ought to have our saints as an example. To look for ways to stop the mutual bloodshed. To seek peace and concord. And if we are incapable of building paradise in our land, God grant that we at least do not turn it into hell.
We believe that the venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Caves, who have protected this holy monastery with their prayer for nearly a thousand years, have yet to say their word, and the Truth of God will inevitably be triumphant.
On the day of their bright memory, we turn to them with ardent prayer. We ask for their intercession before the Throne of God for our long-suffering land, for the persecuted Church, for the brotherhood of the holy monastery, and for all people who seek consolation and truth.
Happy feast!
