Our Lady of the Dormition of Kyiv-Pechersk

Marian devotion of kyiv (kyiv)

El Monastery of the caves of Kiev (Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra) dates back historically to the year 1051during the reign of Yaroslav the Wiseand is considered the oldest monastery in Ukraine and one of the main holy places of Eastern Christianity in the region. The dedication of his great temple superior to the Sleep of the Mother of God (Assumptio / Dormitio) is from its origins the life of the monastery under a clear Marian imprint. This monastic complex, with its churches and catacombs, was recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site en 1990.

Main data

Origin and history

El Monastery of the caves of Kiev (Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra) dates back historically to the year 1051during the reign of Yaroslav the Wiseand is considered the oldest monastery in Ukraine and one of the main holy places of Eastern Christianity in the region. The dedication of his great temple superior to the Sleep of the Mother of God (Assumptio / Dormitio) is from its origins the life of the monastery under a clear Marian imprint. This monastic complex, with its churches and catacombs, was recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site en 1990.

As for the Cathedral of the SleepingThis is the great higher church of the monastery, historically linked to the consolidation of the monacate in the Rus' of Kiev and to the dissemination of devotion to the Mother of God under the mystery of his sleep. The cathedral and the Lavra have suffered destruction and restoration over the centuries, including serious devastation in modern and contemporary times, and remain a spiritual point of reference for the Orthodox faithful of Ukraine.

It does not contain a precise hagiographic narration on a specific icon called "Pecherska Bohorodytsia" that could be safely dated in the 11th century or documented details of its author, exact material or historical trajectory. Therefore, the possible legends about a foundational icon of sleep directly linked to the beginning of the cathedral should be considered undocumented pious traditionand there are no accessible academic or ecclesial sources that make it possible to clearly distinguish a verifiable historical account.

The image and the sanctuary

La Cathedral of the Sleeping is the main temple of the upper set of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Eastern Orthodox rite. It is a large Slavic-Baroque-style building (in its current configuration), with golden domes, large cruise and rich interior decoration. It is the most emblematic church of the monastery, visible on the hill that dominates the Dniéper River. La Lavra is a monastery of high rank in the Orthodox tradition (title of "Lavra"), but it is not known that the cathedral has been erected as a minor basilica within Latin canonical discipline.

Inside the cathedral are venerated icons of the Mother of God in the Sleep, usually integrated into the iconostasis and the iconographic program of the Byzantine rite, where the Sleeping of the Theotokos occupies a prominent place among the great parties. The images follow the traditional iconography of the Sleep: the Virgin lying on the bed, surrounded by the apostles, with Christ standing by receiving the soul of her Mother, symbolized as a child figure wrapped in diapers. However, the sources consulted do not allow to identify with certainty a single "canonical" icon of Our Lady of the proper and exclusive sleep of this sanctuary; rather, it is a set of Marian representations linked to the feast and the dedication of the temple.

Sponsorship and coronation

El patronazgo principal re-fringement of the propio Monastery of the caves of Kiev and, in a broad way, to the monastic and spiritual tradition of the ancient Rus' of Kiev, for which the Sleeping of the Mother of God is the major and theological framework of liturgical life. The Cathedral of the Dormition acts as the mother church of the monastery and reference sanctuary for the faithful who come to the Lavra, although there is no specific formal proclamation as "national" or "diocesan" sanctuary in the technical sense used in Latin canon law.

About a canonical coronation in the Catholic sense (decreed by the Holy See, with date and Pontiff): does not contain a documented canonical coronation for a specific icon of "Our Lady of the Kyiv-Pechersk Sleep" in accessible sources.

Party and devotion

In Byzantine tradition, the Sleep of the Mother of God is celebrated liturgical the August 15often followed by a long spiritual celebration around the date, which coincides with the Assumption in the Latin calendar. This party is one of the Doce Grandes Fiestas of the Orthodox Church and has particular relief in a monastery dedicated precisely to the Sleep.

La Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is one of the main pilgrimage centers of Ukraine and the Eastern Slavic world. The pilgrimages are not limited to the feast of August 15, but cover the whole year, with a constant flow of faithful who visit both the upper cathedral and the caves where relics of numerous holy monks are venerated. The character of devotion includes:

– veneración de los Marian icons según el rito ortodoxo (beso del icono, encendido de velas, oración ante el iconostasio); – participación en la Divine Liturgy, especialmente en la fiesta de la Dormición; – veneración de las reliquids of the saints of the Lavra, linking the intercession of the Mother of God to that of the holy monks of Kiev.

The sources consulted about the monastery, its history and its current situation (including reports on recent damage to the cathedral during the war) confirm the importance of the place, but do not provide precise quantitative data on the number of visitors.

Link to the Rosary

No consta una specific historical link between the advocation of the venerated Sleep in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the prayer of the Rosario latino, since the monastery belongs to the tradition ortodoxa orientalwhich has its own forms of Marian prayer (such as the veneration of icons and the liturgical and acatist prayers).

However, from a Marian Catholic perspective, the mystery of the Sleeping / Assumption of Marywhich crowns the life of the Mother of God, is deeply linked to the contemplation of the glorious mysteries of the Rosary. By meditating on the fourth glorious mystery (the Assumption of Mary to heaven) and the fifth (the Coronation of Mary as Queen), the Rosary allows us to spiritually join the Eastern tradition that celebrates the Sleeping of the Theotokos. The prayer of the Rosary can therefore accompany and enrich the devotion to Our Lady of the Sleeping of Kyiv-Pechersk, integrating into Latin Catholic piety the spiritual treasure that this great Orthodox sanctuary represents for all Christianity.