How the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra changed and how it was seen by monks, museum visitors, and pilgrims is told in photographs presented at an exhibition in Chicago. Photographs from the late 19th to early 21st centuries show the architecture of the Lavra and the people whose stories are connected with it. The photo exhibition “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra: 975 Years of History — 100 Years of Responsible Preservation” was opened on October 11 at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine’s Independence. The event was attended by the Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago, Kostyantyn Vorona. The opening was complemented by a musical program with a performance of Franz Schubert’s Octet. On October 17–18, the exhibition is planned to be presented to a wider American audience as part of Open House Chicago. This is an annual city program during which architectural and historical monuments of Chicago are opened to visitors. Parts of the exhibition will be placed at four locations in the Ukrainian suburbs:
- at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art;
- at the Ukrainian National Museum;
- in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas;
- in the Cathedral of Saints Volodymyr and Olga.
Each of them will have an English-speaking guide who will tell about the history of the building and draw guests’ attention to the exhibition and information materials about the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. Thanks to participation in Open House Chicago, not only representatives of the Ukrainian community will be able to learn about the Lavra, but also Americans who come to get acquainted with the architecture and history of their city. For some visitors, this will be their first acquaintance with Ukrainian cultural heritage. After the program is over, all parts of the exhibition will be returned to the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, where it will continue to work. The exhibition was prepared by the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra National Reserve in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, and the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation. The exhibition was previously presented in Washington. It is dedicated to two anniversaries of 2026 — the 975th anniversary of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the centenary of the National Reserve — and draws attention to the history and preservation of Ukrainian heritage.
