On the day of veneration of St. Nicholas the Holy, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra consecrated and handed over to military units three icons. They were created for the 36th separate brigade of marines, the 20th army corps and the 704th separate brigade of radiation, chemical, biological protection. The consecration ceremony in the Refectory Church of Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves was performed by Archimandrite Euthymius of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of the OCU. “The tradition of consecrating icons for the military is very important for us, because they are a kind of amulet for everyone who today defends the independence of Ukraine,” emphasized Maksym Ostapenko, General Director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. The icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker for the Marines was painted by artist Yuriy Guzenko, “Protection with the Army” for the 20th Army Corps by artist Marina Sochenko, and “Yuri the Victorious” for the 704th Brigade by artist Petro Deylik. This time, the event coincided with the day of honoring Nicholas the Wonderworker, the great-grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. A personality who combined extraordinary diplomatic qualities, because even after being a monk for about 30 years, he continued to engage in peacemaking and spiritual life. Before his tonsure, he was Prince Svyatoslav Davydovich. This name was also borne by his ancestor Svyatoslav Igorovich, who became famous as a warrior, and his grandfather Svyatoslav Yaroslavich, who founded the Great Pechersk Church. The images were created within the framework of the “Military Icon” project, which has been operating since 2024. The initiative revives the tradition of painting icons for military units. This is a joint effort of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and the Anthony and Theodosius Pechersky Charitable Foundation. Over the past time, more than ten images have been handed over to the defenders.
