In a picturesque place Kiev, on the right bank of the Dnieper River is an ancient shrine of the Ukrainian people — Kievo-Pechersk Lavra. Once there were dense forests on this place. Its history begins in the XI century, when in search of solitude for prayers, a priest from the neighboring village of Berestov dug a cave here. But after he was appointed metropolitan, this place was favored by the Monk Anthony after his return to Kievan Rus from the Athos Monastery of Byzantium. It is these two clergymen who are considered to be the founders of the Pechersk Monastery.
From the very beginning, the monastery was a cave monastery. It originated in an underground complex on the territory of the present-day Far Caves. In 1073 on the territory of the monastery was founded an outstanding architectural structure — the Dormition Cathedral. In the story of Bishop Simon, placed in the «Kievo-Pechersk Paterik», it is reported that the builders of the cathedral were architects who came from Constantinople, to whom, as if the Mother of God herself gave «divine measure» for the construction of the cathedral. Then a stone wall and the Trinity Gate Church were built around the monastery. In the era of Kievan Rus this place became a religious center and a kind of academy.
In 1240 during the invasion of Batuya Kievo-Pechersk monastery was severely destroyed. The cathedral was rebuilt and restored, but in 1416 it was again destroyed by the Tatars. After the restoration of the Dormition Cathedral in 1470-1471, gables appeared here, and the vaults were changed to high pitched roofs. In the XVI-XVII centuries the chapels of Stephan and Eltsov, Ivano-Bogoslovsky and Trekhsvyatitelsky aisles were added to it. In the XVIII century the cathedral acquires a baroque look, the interior of the temple is decorated with carvings and gilding. In 1688. Pechersk monastery was given the status of Lavra (the largest male Orthodox monastery, which is directly subordinate to the patriarch or metropolitan).
Today Kievo-Pecherska Lavra is a state historical and cultural reserve of about 26 hectares and a monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The modern monastery consists of labyrinths of Near and Far caves with a total length of up to 900 meters, not connected to each other. These are long underground corridors with churches, cells, arcasalia, niches. A separate part of the caves is the Varangian Caves — the most ancient cave structures, which are located closer to the Dnieper. Their main shrine is the imperishable relics of the Venerable Fathers.
But still the main place in the architectural ensemble of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is occupied by the Dormition Cathedral. Speaking about the architectural constructions of Lavra it is worth mentioning the five-domed gate church of All Saints over the Economic Gate and the Trinity Gate Church.
The Great Lavra Bell Tower fits beautifully into the architectural ensemble. It was built in 1731-1745 by architect I. R. Schedel. Its height together with the cross reaches 96.52 meters. The bell tower consists of four tiers, its dome is covered with copper and gilding. Under the dome there are bells and chimes.
In 1990, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was included in the number of monuments of world significance at the session of the Unesco Committee.