The Church of All Venerable Fathers of the Caves is one of the churches within the complex of the Near Caves of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. It is consecrated in honor of its first ascetics — monks who established the spiritual, cultural, and intellectual tradition here. Today their relics rest in the Near and Far Caves.
The building was constructed in the first half of the 19th century as monastic cells for monks. Several decades later, a church of All Venerable Fathers of the Caves was arranged on the second floor. Since the church was heated, it was also called the “warm church” — it was here that services were held during the cold season.
During the Soviet period, the church, like many other structures of the Lavra, lost its original purpose. A museum exhibition dedicated to the history of the Lavra caves operated here. Only in 2002 was the church reconstructed, repainted, fitted with a carved iconostasis, and consecrated.
Today it is an active church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Services are held here regularly, and relics connected to the history of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra are kept here, including a copy of the Svensk (Pechersk) Icon of the Mother of God, icons containing fragments of saints’ relics, and an ark with a fragment of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.
Although the church appeared much later than most of the Lavra’s temples, its dedication carries special meaning. It unites the memory of all the Venerable Fathers of the Caves — from the first monks of the 11th century to subsequent generations of ascetics who made the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra one of the most important spiritual, cultural, and educational centers of Ukraine.
How to visit the Church of All Venerable Fathers of the Caves
The church is located next to the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, at the end of the gallery leading to the Near Caves. It can be seen while visiting the Near Caves complex.