The Pechersk Lavra or Cave Monastery in Kiev is one of the oldest monasteries in Eastern Europe, it is the spiritual centre and the most sacred place in the Ukraine,
so it comes as no surprise that it is included on the UNESCO list of
World Heritage sites. The Lavra itself was built more than a thousand
years ago over a labyrinth of caves that run under the hillside that is
now Kiev.
Taking a candle each and
walking through the narrow catacombs, one can see 123 saints that are
preserved by the unique air composition and humidity, with many of the
saints resting in glass coffins. The relics in the catacombs are
worshiped by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world that pass
through every year. Glancing away from the glass coffins, there are
unique frescos preserved on the walls of the Labyrinth, painted by the
monks some of which are almost 900 years old.
During the occupation of Kiev by the Germany
in the II World War, it was ordered that the bodies of the saints be
exhumed and thrown into the Dnipro river. On loading the glass coffins,
the first truck failed to start, so the coffins were taken to a second
truck, which in turn also failed to start. It was reported that at this
point the German guards allowed the coffins to be returned to the
safety of the catacombs thinking there was some act of god at work. For
more information or to view other places of interest in the Ukraine go
to the Travel Ukraine site, or view via the Travel and Tourism link on the parent company Addington-Barker Group International.
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