On the high bank of the Dnieper, the golden domes of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra shine. For almost a thousand years, the sound of its bells has been ringing over the water, turning people's thoughts to eternity and filling the souls with the warmth of God's Grace. This ancient monastery became a monument to its creator, whose name is Rev. Anthony Pechersky. At the beginning of the XI century, the Lord brought him to these places, blessing the monastic life and foundation of one of the main strongholds of Russian Orthodoxy.
The Way to Monasticism
About where Antony Pechersky spent his early years, his life mentions only very briefly. It is known that the future ascetic was born in 983 in Lyubec, a small village near Chernigov, and during holy baptism he was called Antipa. That, perhaps, is all that is known about his childhood. History has not preserved even the names of parents who gave the world one of the brightest pillars of the Orthodox Church.
From an early age, feeling in himself an indisputable desire to serve God, he went on foot to distant Palestine to see with his own eyes the places where the years of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ passed. Fulfilling this intention, on the way back Antipas visited another spiritual center of Christianity - St. Athos. Here, he not only offered prayers to the miraculous images stored in ancient temples, but, with the blessing of the Athos elders, he received monastic tonsure with the name Anthony.
Homecoming
The life of Anthony Pechersky during the days of the Holy Prince Vladimir - the Baptist of Russia - took place mainly among the Athos monks. For several years he lived in the walls of the monastery, gaining strength in faith and comprehending the divine teaching under the guidance of wise mentors. But the Lord was pleased that, having succeeded in the sciences, Anthony would return to his homeland, bringing the light of Christ's truth to the Dnieper banks. He expressed this will to the abbot of the Athos monastery, and he blessed the monk and sent him on the return trip to the territory of the newly consecrated Russian lands, to plant monks there too. Thus ended the period of his wanderings, St. Anthony of the Caves.
His life tells of how, in 1028, having returned to Kiev, for the exploits of ascetic life, he selects a cave dug on Berestovaya Hill by Presbyter Hilarion, the future Kiev Metropolitan. On the banks of the Dnieper in those years there were already several monasteries built by the Greeks, but life in none of them met the high spiritual requirements that Anthony presented. Having secluded himself in a cave, he indulged in fasting and prayers, contenting himself every other day with only stale bread and a sip of water.
From ancient times, ascetics were worshiped as deviators who renounced earthly goods in order to serve God, therefore, the fame of the ascetic life of a hermit who was tied up on Berestovaya Hill quickly spread not only to Kiev, but also to many other cities. Hundreds of people striving to receive instruction, blessing, or wise advice in difficult life situations began to come to his cave, and the Monk Anthony Pechersky refused no one.
The arrival of a large fraternity
Soon there appeared those who wanted to settle with him and perform the feat of monastic service together. The first to make such a request was a priest named Nikon. After him came from Kursk the future holy associate of Anthony - the Monk Theodosius. From a young age, he was also kindled with love for the Lord and saw his destiny in serving Him with his whole life.
Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, and with them Priest Nikon, became the first inhabitants of the future monastery. It was with them that the world-famous Lavra began. The life of the Monk Anthony of the Caves tells that when about a dozen more followers joined them, he left the already inhabited cave and, retiring to a nearby mountain, dug up a new one, where he settled in solitude. But everything that was before was repeated - monks again began to settle near it. This was the beginning of the Near and Far Caves of the Lavra, which can be seen today.
Glory to the great ascetic
The Monk Theodosius, who remained in his former place, was soon elected rector of the monastery, the life in which he organized in accordance with the charter of Tsaregradsky Studios Monastery. These were strict rules providing for the commonality of all property, and life spent in unceasing prayers and labors. Each monk carried obedience assigned to him by the abbot, who decided what he could do. An indispensable condition for life in the monastery was daily confession, at which the inhabitants opened their souls and believed the most secret thoughts of the mentor.
When Prince Izyaslav, the grandson of the baptizer of Russia, St. Prince Vladimir, came to power in Kiev, the glory of the Monk Anthony already spread throughout the Russian land. She became even stronger when Izyaslav with all his retinue came to the caves to ask him for blessings for himself and his army. The life of the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves reports that after this the number of people wishing to become a monk increased significantly. Most of these Christians were tonsured on Berestovaya Hill and became a worthy continuation of the work they had begun.
Conflict with Prince Izyaslav
But not only the joy of spiritual communication was brought to the monks by the laity coming to them. They were the result of their comings and sorrows, inalienable from our earthly life. The short life of Anthony Pechersky gives such a sad example. Once, two Kievans came to him - the son of a noble boyar named Barlaam and the princely eunuch Ephraim. Both of them wished to become monks and were soon tonsured. However, such a charitable deed had the most unexpected and regrettable consequences for the whole fraternity.
When Varlaam's father found out about the tonsure of his son, then, not feeling the slightest sympathy for his act, he appeared to the caves with his many servants. Having pushed the brethren in the most inappropriate way, he forcibly took home the lad who dared to take such an important step in life without his father's blessing. Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves with bitterness experienced what had happened. But what was their grief when the Grand Duke Izyaslav himself was filled with anger when he learned about the tonsure of his beloved eunuch!
Forced exit from the caves
The Kiev ruler, in the heat of anger, threatened to capture and imprison the venerable monks if they did not convince Barlaam and Ephraim to renounce their monasticism and continue their former worldly life. Izyaslav also threatened to disperse the entire brethren of the monastery, and to bury the caves themselves. There is no doubt that the prince was prompted by such "fierce anger" by the very "enemy of the human race."
Anthony Pechersky, who built his life exclusively on the fulfillment of God's commandments and did not bow to the rulers of the earth, was forced to leave the caves and, together with the Monk Theodosius and the whole brethren, set off in search of a new place to live. Only the intercession of the princess served to soften the heart of the lord and made it possible for the monks to return to their former place.
Construction of the first building of the future Lavra
However, the saint did not harbor in his heart those who caused him suffering. Seeing only the machinations of the evil one, he opened his heart even more widely to all the children of God. And the Lord did not leave him. Soon all those who left them gathered in the caves, seeking salvation from princely wrath. The pious monastic life, interrupted by such an unfortunate circumstance, resumed.
When the size of the fraternity significantly increased, a wooden church was built on the mountain in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the first building of the future Lavra. During this period, evidence appears of miracles performed by Anthony Pechersky. The saint’s life is filled with examples of how he healed the sick who came to him and predicted many future events hidden from the eyes of ordinary people. This gift of God puts him on a par with the great saints who once tied up in the sultry deserts of Egypt. Anyone who carefully reads the life of the Monk Anthony of the Caves will no doubt agree with this statement.
Departure to Chernihiv
Years passed, and the Lord again allowed the sorrows to penetrate into the pure heart of Anthony. Again the crafty one chose Prince Izyaslav of Kiev as his weapon. This time, he darkened his mind with slander, which allegedly Anthony was spiritually disposed to his enemy, Vseslav Borisovich, the Polotsk prince from the Rurikovich clan, and supported him when he made trouble in Kiev. This accusation was political in nature and could have the most serious consequences.
Help unexpectedly came from Chernigov, where Izyaslav's brother, Prince Svyatoslav, ruled in those years. Upon learning of what had happened, he secretly took Anthony to his possessions, where he could safely continue the monastic service. For a solitary reclusive life, he dug a cave in the Boldin Mountains, which also laid the foundation for the monastery of the Holy Mother of God subsequently created there, which is reported to us by the life of St. Anthony Pechersky, the summary of which formed the basis of this article.
The result of the holy life
In the last years of his life, the holy ascetic, for lack of strength, has withdrawn from the management of the monastery he created. He devoted all his time to prayer and preparation for that great moment when he would be destined to appear before the throne of the Most High. He ended his earthly journey on May 7, 1073. To this day, his relics have not been found to this day, and, in church terms, "remain in the background."
The Kiev Pechersk Lavra, which became the main business of his life, was a model for other monasteries built in Orthodox Russia. She gave the world many prominent figures of the church, among whom were archbishops, preachers and writers who have gone down in history. For them and for all in whose hearts Christ's truth lived, the textbook of service to God has always been the repeatedly published life of Anthony Pechersky. A brief summary of it can only to a small extent give an idea of the whole variety of spiritual deeds accomplished by him.