File:Perchersk Lavra, Kyiv Panorama.jpg|thumb|Pechersk Lavra, Kyiv, in 1889, Department of Image Collections,
National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, D.C. The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra contains numerous architectural monuments, ranging from
bell towers to cathedrals to cave systems and to strong stone
fortification walls. The main attractions of the Lavra include the
Great Lavra Belltower, and the
Dormition Cathedral, destroyed in fighting the Germans
World War II, and fully reconstructed in the 1990s after the fall of Soviet Union by Ukraine. Other churches and cathedrals of the Lavra include: the
Refectory Church, the Church of All Saints, the
Church of the Saviour at Berestove, the Church of the Exaltation of Cross, the Church of the Trinity, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, the Church of the Conception of St. Anne, and the Church of the Life-Giving Spring. The Lavra also contains many other constructions, including: the St. Nicholas Monastery, the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, and the Debosquette Wall.
Great Lavra Belltower The Great Lavra Belltower is one of the most notable features of the Kyiv skyline and among the main attractions of the Lavra. 96.5 meters in height, it was the tallest free-standing belltower at the time of its construction in 1731–1745, and was designed by the architect
Johann Gottfried Schädel. It is a
Classical style construction and consists of
tiers, surmounted by a
gilded dome.
Dormition Cathedral Built in the 11th century, the main church of the monastery was destroyed during the
World War II, a couple of months after the Nazi Germany troops occupied the city of
Kyiv, during which the Soviet Union conducted the controversial
1941 Khreshchatyk explosions. Withdrawing Soviet troops practiced the tactics of
scorched earth and blew up all the Kyiv bridges over
Dnieper as well as the main Khreshchatyk street and Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The destruction of the cathedral followed a pattern of Soviet disregard for cultural heritage, as they previously blew up the ancient
St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery nearby in the 1930s. In 1928, the monastery was converted into an anti-religious museum park by the Soviet authorities and after their return no efforts were provided to restore the church. The temple was finally restored in 1995 after Ukraine obtained its independence and the construction was accomplished in two years. The new Dormition Church was consecrated in 2000. spreading awareness of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
Library The notable library of the Lavra was burned during the reign of
Peter the Great. On the night of April 21-22, 1718, Orthodox monks — tsarist agents — set fire to the premises of the Lavra, where its library and archive with unique documents and books from the historical past of Ukraine were located. In 1988, after the restoration of the monastery's activities, library work was resumed. The funds began to be replenished with those publications that the Lavra monks and parishioners managed to save. New books began to be purchased, and some of the books that began to be published by the Lavra printing house restored in 1995 were transferred to the library. Over 20 years of activity after the revival of the monastery, more than 10 thousand volumes were collected. In 2008, the library was moved to premises that allow the best placement and organization of library funds. Accounting and cataloging of the Lavra library funds were digitized.
Necropolis There are over a hundred burials in the Lavra. Below are the most notable ones •
Ilya Muromets – in the caves (c. 11th–12th century) •
Nestor the Chronicler – in the Near Caves (c. 1114) •
Saint Kuksha – in the
Near Caves (c. 1114) •
Alipy of the Caves – in the Near Caves (c. 1114) •
Agapetus of Pechersk – in the Near Caves (c. 11th century) •
Oleg son of
Vladimir II Monomakh – in the
Church of the Saviour at Berestove (c. 12th century) •
Eufemia of Kyiv daughter of
Vladimir II Monomakh – in the
Church of the Saviour at Berestove (1139) •
Yuri Dolgoruki – in the
Church of the Saviour at Berestove (1157) •
Vladimir Olgerdovich – Prince of Kyiv, son of the Lithuanian Grand Duke
Algirdas •
Skirgaila – regent Grand Duke of Lithuania (1397) •
Feodor Ostrogski •
Uliana Olshanska – a second wife of the Lithuanian Grand Duke
Vytautas the Great (1448) •
Švitrigaila – the Lithuanian and Ruthenian Grand Duke (1452) •
Konstanty Ostrogski – near the
Cathedral of the Dormition (1530) •
Vasily Kochubey – near the
Refectory Church (1708) •
Ivan Iskra – near the
Refectory Church (1708) •
Pyotr Stolypin – near the
Refectory Church (1911) •
St. Spyridon – in the caves (c. 19th–20th century) •
Pope Clement I – his head in the Far Caves (his remaining relics brought to San Clemente in Rome by Sts. Cyril and Methodius) During the
Soviet era, the bodies of the saints that lay in the caves were left uncovered due to the regime's disregard for religion. However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the bodies were covered with a cloth and to this day remain in the same state. File:Iliya Muromets Kiev.jpg|Imperishable relic of saint
Ilya Muromets in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra File:Надгробок Костянтина Острозького.tif|Monument to
Konstanty Ostrogski ==Museum==