Saint Anthony's caves is a cave monastery in Chernihiv, Ukraine. It is home to Feodosiy Totemskyi Church, the largest underground church in Ukraine.
History
The history of Saint Anthony's caves in
Chernihiv
Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is
The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
started in the second half of the tenth century when
Anthony of Kiev
Anthony of Kiev, also called Anthony of the Caves (, ; c. 983 – 1073), was a monk and the founder of the monastic tradition in Kievan Rus'. Together with Theodosius of Kiev, he co-founded the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves).
...
came to
Boldyni Hory, where he dug out a cave for
solitude
Solitude, also known as social withdrawal, is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation. Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may wo ...
and prayers. Boldyni Hory was considered a sacred place in pre-Christian times, as there were. Chernihiv and
Kyiv
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
were the largest centers of the
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,.
* was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...
, and they faced constant confrontations. To keep up with Kyiv's pace, the first church of the contemporary Trinity Monastery complex appeared a century later. The total length of the Chernihiv underground premises is about 350 meters (1148 feet).
See also
*
Near Caves
The Near Caves or the Caves of Saint AnthonyAnother name can be ''Caves of Saint Anthony'' because the relics of Saint Anthony are buried here. (, ''Blyzhni pechery''; , ''Blizhnie peschery'') are historic caves and a network of tunnels of the ...
of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra system
Gallery
Чернігів. Вхід у Антонієві печери.JPG
Чернігів. Підземні споруди.JPG
Cave monastery in Chernigov (3972539252).jpg
Chernigiv Illinsky Monastery Caves IMG 9008 74-101-0018.JPG
Czernigow 16.jpg
Czernigow 17.jpg
Czernigow 18.jpg
References
Tourist attractions in Chernihiv
Buildings and structures in Chernihiv
Caves of Ukraine
Tourist attractions in Chernihiv Oblast
Tourism in Chernihiv
History of Chernihiv
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