Vydubychi Monastery ( ua, Видубицький монастир ''Vydubyts'kyi monastyr'') is an historic

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

in the

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

capital

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

. During the

Soviet period The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...

it housed the NANU Institute of Archaeology.

History

The monastery was established between 1070 and 1077 by

Vsevolod Vsevolod or Wsewolod (russian: Все́волод ; uk, Все́волод ) is a Slavic male first name. Its etymology is from Slavic roots 'vse' (all) and 'volodeti' (to rule) and means 'lord-of-everything/everybody', (similar to another princ ...

, son of

Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav the Wise or Yaroslav I Vladimirovich; russian: Ярослав Мудрый, ; uk, Ярослав Мудрий; non, Jarizleifr Valdamarsson; la, Iaroslaus Sapiens () was the Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death. He was als ...

. It was a family cloister of Vsevolod's son

Vladimir Monomakh Vladimir II Monomakh (Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Мономахъ, ''Volodiměrŭ Monomakhŭ''; uk, Володимир Мономах, translit=Volodymyr Monomakh; russian: Владимир Мономах; Christian name: ''Vasiliy'' ...

and his descendants. The monastery, and the neighbourhood in present-day Kyiv where it is located, was named after an old Slavic legend about the

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

god

Perun In Slavic mythology, Perun (Cyrillic: Перýн) is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, iris, eagle, firmam ...

and the

Grand Prince Grand prince or great prince (feminine: grand princess or great princess) ( la, magnus princeps; Greek: ''megas archon''; russian: великий князь, velikiy knyaz) is a title of nobility ranked in honour below emperor, equal of king ...

Vladimir the Great Vladimir I Sviatoslavich or Volodymyr I Sviatoslavych ( orv, Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь, ''Volodiměrъ Svętoslavičь'';, ''Uladzimir'', russian: Владимир, ''Vladimir'', uk, Володимир, ''Volodymyr''. Se ...

of Kyiv. The word "Vydubychi" comes from the word ''Vydobychi'' → ''Vydobych'' → ''Vydobech'' ( ua, Видобичі → Видобич → Видобеч) which means "to swim up", "emerge from water". The legend has it that Vladimir ordered the wooden figures of Perun (the Thunder God) and other pagan gods dumped into the

Dnieper River } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...

during the mass

Baptism of Kyiv Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation and Adoption ...

. The disheartened Kyivans, though accepting the baptism, ran along the Dnieper River calling for the old gods to emerge from water (''Перуне выдуби!''). Accordingly, the area down the river stream where Perun emerged was named ''Vydubichu'' or ''Vydubychi'' in modern Ukrainian. The monastery operated the

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

across the

and many of the best scholars of that time lived and worked there. Among them, chroniclers Sylvestr of Kiev and Moisey made a great contribution to writing the '' Tale of Bygone Years''. From the 1596

Union of Brest The Union of Brest (; ; ; ) was the 1595–96 decision of the Ruthenian Orthodox Church eparchies (dioceses) in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to break relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church and to enter into communion with, and place i ...

the Monastery was an official seat of the first three metropolitans of the

Greek Catholic Church The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

in Ukraine - Mykhajlo Rohoza, Ipatii Potii and Yosyf Rutskyi. In 1635 it was returned to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.''The Vydubytskyi Monastery: A Kyiv landmark worthy of attention, Ukraine Weekly'' 1996-08-11 Vydubychi at Pokrova Church 1

1996-08-11 Vydubychi at Pokrova Church 1

The monastery was continuously protected by Ukraine's

hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

s and aristocratic families. Hetman

Ivan Mazepa Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa (also spelled Mazeppa; uk, Іван Степанович Мазепа, pl, Jan Mazepa Kołodyński; ) was a Ukrainian military, political, and civic leader who served as the Hetman of Zaporizhian Host in 1687–1708. ...

in 1695 forbade the Vydubytskyi Monastery's neighbors to "do injustice to the monastery" and placed it under the guard of Starodub Regiment Col. Mykhailo Myklashevskyi, who established the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

-style Church of St. George and new Transfiguration Refectory. Hetman

Danylo Apostol Danylo Apostol (; ; ) (1654–1734), was a Hetman of Zaporizhian Host from 1727 to 1734. Brief biography Born in a Cossack family of Moldavian origin, Danylo Apostol was a prominent military leader, ''polkovnyk'' (colonel) of the Myrhorod ...

subsidised construction of the monastery's bell tower. In the 18th century the help of Hetman

Kyrylo Rozumovsky Count Kirill Grigoryevich Razumovski, anglicized as Cyril Grigoryevich Razumovski (russian: Кирилл Григорьевич Разумовский, uk, Кирило Григорович Розумовський ''Kyrylo Hryhorovych Rozumovs ...

's ensured the new properties for the Vydubychi. Since the late 1990s, the monastery is administered by the

Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * Som ...

. The Vydubychi Church Choir was among the first choirs in newly independent Ukraine to reinstate singing of the Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian language.Vydubychi Church Choir
/ref>

Buildings and structures

Only a few churches of this monastery have survived over the centuries. One of these is the Collegiate Church of Saint Michael, which was built on behest of

Vsevolod I Vsevolod I Yaroslavich (Russian: Всеволод I Ярославич, Ukrainian: Всеволод I Ярославич, Old Norse: Vissivald) (c. 1030 – 13 April 1093), ruled as Grand Prince of Kiev from 1078 until his death. Early li ...

and partly reconstructed between 1766 and 1769 by Russian architect M. I. Yurasov. The

Ukrainian baroque Ukrainian Baroque, or Cossack Baroque or Mazepa Baroque ( uk, Українське бароко або Козацьке бароко), is an architectural style that was widespread in the Ukrainian lands in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was th ...

structures include the magnificent 5-domed St. George Cathedral, Transfiguration of the Saviour Church and refectory, all dating from 1696-1701. A belltower, commissioned by the

Hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

, was erected in 1727-33 and built up in 1827-31. * Saint Michael Church * Saint George Cathedral * Refectory with Savior-Transfiguraton Church * Chapel of the Saint Michael Church * Fraternity building * Building of the abbot * Necropolis

Necropolis

Many distinguished individuals are buried there, including: * Y. Handzyuk - Commander of the First Ukrainian Corps (1918), executed by the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

* Bogdan Khanenko (1848–1917) - collector and patron of the arts, his collection was moved to the Kyiv Museum of Art and Industry after his death *

Konstantin Ushinsky Konstantin Dmitrievich Ushinsky (russian: Константи́н Дми́триевич Уши́нский; uk, Костянти́н Дмитро́вич Уши́нський, translit=Kostiantyn Dmytrovych Ushynskyi) ( – ) was a Russian t ...

(1823–1871) - pedagogue, advocate of teaching in Ukrainian (which was prohibited in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century according to the

Ems Ukase The Ems Ukaz or Ems Ukase (russian: Эмский указ, Emskiy ukaz; uk, Емський указ, Ems’kyy ukaz), was a secret decree (''ukaz'') of Emperor Alexander II of Russia issued on May 18, 1876, banning the use of the Ukrainian lang ...

.) * Vladimir Alekseyevich Betz (1834–1896) - anatomist famous for his discovery of giant pyramidal motoneurons which are now called

Betz cell Betz cells (also known as pyramidal cells of Betz) are giant pyramidal cells ( neurons) located within the fifth layer of the grey matter in the primary motor cortex. These neurons are the largest in the central nervous system, sometimes reaching ...

s. *

Lev Mikhailovich Yashvil Prince Lev Mikhailovich Yashvil (russian: Лев Михайлович Яшвиль), also known as Levan Mikheilis dze Iashvili ( ka, ლევან მიხეილის ძე იაშვილი) (1772 - April 19, 1836) was a Georgia (cou ...

(1768–1836) - artillery general during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. File:%D0%92%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%8011.jpg File:80-382-9007 Видубицький монастир.jpg, Vydubychi monastery File:%D0%94%D0%B7%D0%B2%D1%96%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%8F_%D0%92%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%80%D1%8F.JPG File:%D0%92%D1%8B%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%80%D1%8C_1.JPG File:%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%92%D1%8B%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE.jpg File:%D0%94%D0%B7%D0%B2%D1%96%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%8F_%D0%92%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%80%D1%8F,_%D0%9A%D0%B8%D1%97%D0%B2.jpg File:%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0,_%D0%9A%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2_-_%D0%92%D1%8B%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%80%D1%8C_09.jpg

Vydubychi Monastery in Art and Literatury

* Drawing, ''Vydubytskyi Monastery in Kyiv'' (1844) by

Taras Shevchenko Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko ( uk, Тарас Григорович Шевченко , pronounced without the middle name; – ), also known as Kobzar Taras, or simply Kobzar (a kobzar is a bard in Ukrainian culture), was a Ukraine, Ukrainian p ...

. The work is located in the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kyiv. * Drawing, ''Vydubytskyi Monastery'' (1840s) by Mykhailo Sazhyn. The work is located in the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kyiv.

References

Vydubitskiy Monastery

External links