First-ever prayer in Far Caves of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra marks historic shift

First service in the Far Caves

During the service, led by Epiphanius, prayers were offered for Ukraine, its defenders, the government, and the people.

Joining the Primate in prayer were Bishop Abraham of Boryspil, Lavra clergy, monastics, and representatives of the National Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Reserve, headed by Svitlana Kotliarevska.

After the service, the Metropolitan addressed those present, emphasizing that this prayer marked a historic event. He noted that the Ukrainian Church is returning to the place where the light of our venerable fathers shone and where Ukrainian monastic life began.

Epiphanius also expressed hope that through the joint efforts of the Church and the state, the Lavra would be fully liberated from the influence of the "Russian world," and that believers would be able to freely pray in its holy places.

After the service, Epiphanius venerated the relics of the Venerable Fathers of the Caves, which rest in the Far Caves.

Service in the Far Caves (photo: pomisna.info)

Return of the Lavra to the OCU

The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was partially returned to the control of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2023. That year, the state terminated the lease agreement with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), and Bishop Abraham of the OCU was appointed as the new head of the Lavra.

On January 7, 2023, Christmas in the Julian calendar, the OCU held its first service in the Lavra's Refectory Church dedicated to Venerable Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. This was the first Ukrainian-language service there in 300 years.

Since then, the OCU has gradually resumed services on the territory of the National Reserve, including in the churches and caves of the monastery.

Recently, we published a detailed report on the transition of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to OCU and how the sacred site functions today.