The Near Caves of Anthony are the place where the history of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra began almost a thousand years ago. It was here, in the 11th century, that the first monks settled, led by the Venerable Anthony of the Caves. Over time, the small monastic community grew into one of the most important spiritual and cultural centers of Ukraine.
Nearly 400 meters of underground passages connect churches, cells, and burial sites created by many generations of monks over the centuries.
The Near Caves hold the relics of 74 cave saints, including Nestor the Chronicler, author of the “Tale of Bygone Years,” the physician Agapit, the icon painter Alypy, and Ilya Muromets. The underground labyrinths thus serve as a kind of national pantheon, preserving the memory of the people who shaped Ukraine’s spiritual and cultural tradition.