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==History==
The Venerable [[Anthony of the Caves|Anthony]] is credited with founding the monastery when he settled in one of the caves that is now part of the Far Caves (also called the Caves of Theodosius). This occurred most probably in the year 1051 which is the traditional date for the foundation of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. As the community grew to twelve [[monk]]s new cells were excavated. Among those who joined Anthony in the early years were [[Theodosius of the Kiev Caves|Theodosius]] and the Venerable BarlaamVarlaam. In 1057, Anthony, who desired a life of seclusion, named Barlaam Varlaam as the first [[hegumen]] ([[abbot]]) and withdrew from the community to new cave in a hill that today is part of the Near Caves (also called the Caves of Anthony).
During the early times when Theodosius was abbot (1062-1074), a wooden structure was built over the Far Caves and the brethren, whose number was reaching one hundred, moved out of the caves. As the monastery grew the need for rules that would govern the life of the community was recognized. Theodosius decided to use the statute of the [[Studion Monastery]] in Constantinople as the model for the Caves monastery's rules and sent one of his monks to Constantinople to obtain a copy. Meanwhile, Metr. George arrived in Kiev accompanied by a monk from the Studion Monastery who provided a copy of the monastic statute to the monastery. The Statute of the Pechersk Monastery was then drafted on the basis of these two versions from the Studion.
From these times until the end of the sixteenth century little documentation remains as historical source material as records were destroyed during each raid. Beginning in the sixteenth century, reports by travelers provide descriptions of the caves and the monastic life then practiced at the monastery. These reports noted the length of the underground caves, whose entries resemble entrances to mines, and which also noted that liturgy was celebrated in the two underground churches every Saturday. By the late sixteenth century the monastery had once again recovered. At this time it was granted [[stavropegial]] status by the Patriarch of Constantinople. This freed the monastery from the control of the metropolitan of Kiev. The monastery was also granted the status of a [[lavra]].
Following the Union of Brest-Litovsk in 1596, those who supported the union and became Greek Catholics made an effort to gain control of the lavra, but the Orthodox prevailed and retained control. The Kievan Cave Monastery Press, the first printing press in Kiev, was established at the monastery in 1615 by [[Archimandrite]] Yelisei Pletenentsky. The monastery was further restored and improved by Archimandrite [[Peter Mogila]], (later known as [[metropolitan]] Petro (Mohyla)), who in 1631 opened the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery school with a "western" curriculum. This school was, in 1632, combined with the Kiev Epiphany Brotherhood School into a college that later became the Kiev Mogila Academy. In 1688, the Lavra was subordinated directly under the Moscow patriarchate, but still with its stavropegial status.
A major fire in 1718 severely damaged the monastery. The main church and the printing house, with the library and archives, was destroyed. Restoration of this damage took ten years. In 1720, Peter I’s government prohibited printing of new books and imposed synodal censorship on all publications from the monastery. This severely limited the monastery’s cultural influence.