Construction of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, or Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine. It was founded by monks Anthony and Theodosius, who lived in caves on a hill above the Dnieper river, in the era of Kyivan Rus under Prince Yaroslav the Wise. It grew into one of the main religious and cultural centres of the Eastern Slavs, with a school of chronicle writing, and the caves hold the burial places of many monks. The complex was damaged by Mongol invaders in the 13th century and rebuilt, and its Dormition Cathedral was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt in modern times. Together with the neighbouring St Sophia Cathedral, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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