The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church recalled that the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was founded in the 11th century and is the first monastery of Kievan Rus. “This monastery is the founder of the common spiritual and monastic tradition of the Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples. It is the cradle of our civilization and national culture. The first historical monument of ancient Rus’, The Tale of the Years past, was written here,” explained the head of the Russian Church.
The monastery repeatedly suffered from raids, foreign conquests and persecutions of Christians, but it was not until the reign of militant atheist power in the 20th century that the monastic laurels were expelled from the monastery.
“New generations of monks again revived the monastery and devoted colossal works and large funds with minimal state aid, or even in its absence, to the restoration of the monastery, the restoration of the churches of Dormition and Refectory now removed, but most important – to recreate there ancient spiritual traditions and a full-fledged monastic life,” His Holiness emphasized.
