Saint Kuksha of the Kiev Caves (died after 1114) was a monk and

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from the Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) in

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, Ukraine. He has been canonized as a

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in the

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for his work spreading

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among the heathen East Slavic tribe of Vyatichi (of the

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basin, in present-day Kaluga, Ryazan, and Tula oblasts of

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)."Venerable Pimen of the Kiev Near Caves", Orthodox Church in America
/ref> This story is told of him: Being a monk at Kiev Pechersk Lavra, he left to preach

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to idol-worshippers Viatichi. He there performed numerous miracles. Impressed by his powers and rendered receptive by his preaching, the heathens began to convert and accept baptism. Priests of Viatichi, furious over the destruction of their idols, decapitated Kuksha and his pupil. On the day of Kuksha's death, his spiritual father Saint Pimen the Faster stood in the middle of the monastery church and loudly proclaimed: "Our brother Kuksha has been killed this day". Saint Pimen died the same day. The memory of Saint Kuksha, his follower, and Saint Pimen the Faster is celebrated at the Lavra on the day of their death August 27 O.S. and September 27 O.S. The relics of Saint Kuksha are kept at St. Anthony Caves of the Lavra.

References

External links

The PriestMartyr Kuksha and the Monk Pimen the Faster
* (Russian
Karpov, Alexey Yurevich. ''Venerable Kuksha - the Enlightener of Viatichi''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuksha of the Kiev Caves, Saint 12th-century deaths Eastern Orthodox saints from Ukraine Russian saints Eastern Orthodox missionaries Monks of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra 12th-century Christian saints Burials at the Near Caves, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra 12th-century Christian martyrs 11th-century births 12th-century Rus' people