The term '''Lavra''lavra''''' is a name given to large, rich [[monastery|monasteries ]] of importance that enjoy special privileges and are cultural centers in the regions they occupy.

Among the noted lavras is the '''[[Great Lavra (Athos)|Monastery of the Great Lavra''' ]] on the [[Mount Athos|Athos Peninsula]]. This [[monastery]] which was , founded by the [[monk]] St. Athanasius the Athonite in 963, is the earliest and the mother monastery of the [[Mount Athos]] Athonite communities.

In the Slavic world (under the Moscow Patriarchate: [[Church of Russia]] and [[Church of Ukraine]]) there are three five lavras of particular note: *'''[[Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.''' ]] in Kiev, Ukraine. This monastery, often called the [[Monastery of the Kiev Caves]], was founded in 1051 by [[Anthony of the Caves]] and [[Theodosiusof the Kiev Caves|Theodosius]].*[[Pochaev Lavra of the Dormition of the Theotokos|Pochayiv Lavra]] (''Pochaev'') has for centuries been the foremost spiritual and ideological centre of various Orthodox denominations in Western Ukraine. The monastery tops a 60-metre hill in the town of Pochayiv, Ternopil Oblast, 18 km southwest of Kremenets and 50 km north of Ternopil. It was established a lavra in 1833.*[[Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra|Trinity Lavra of St Sergius''' ]] at Sergiyev Posad, Russia. This monastery , was founded in 1345 by [[Sergius of Radonezh]], the most venerated of Russian [[saint]]s. Czarina Tsarina Elizabeth elevated the monastery to the dignity of a Lavra lavra in 1744. *'''Alexander Nevsky Lavra''' in St Petersburg, Russia. This lavra , was founded as a monastery in 1710 and was not finished until 1790. The monastery was elevated to the status of a Lavra until lavra in 1797.*Uspensko-Svyatogorskaya Lavra has been a Lavra since 2004

==External links==*Monastery of the Great Lavra [http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/Monastery/great_lavra.html]*Kiev_Pechersk_Lavra:Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/]*Kiev-Pechersk Lavra [http://www.lavra.kiev.ua/en/main.php?id=90] *Troitse-Sergiyeva_Lavra:Wikipedia [httpCategory://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monasteries]*Alexander Nevsky Lavra [http://www.saint-petersburg-hotels.com/alexandernevskiylavra.htm]

[[Categoryel: MonasteriesΛαύρα]][[ro:Lavră]]