The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery

The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is much more than just an ancient monastery. For many centuries it was a truly spiritual centre of Ukraine. The Cave Monastery was built almost 8 centuries ago by the monks Antoniy and Feodosiy. Spread across wooded slopes above the Dnipro, it is a unique array of gold-domed churches, underground labyrinths lined with mummified monks, & elegant monastic buildings turned museums. Currently, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra also serves as the residence of Metropolitan Volodymyr (Viktor Sabodan), the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and is open for visiting.