Anthony of Kiev

Anthony Of Kiev
St. Anthony of Kiev, co-founder of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
Venerable Father, Anthony of the Caves
Born	c. 983 Lyubech, Chernigov Principality
Died	c. 1073 (Aged: 90) Kiev, Ukraine
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church, Greek Catholicism, Roman Catholicism
Major shrine	Svensky Monastery
Feast	July 10/23 (Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic), May 7 (Roman Catholic)
Attributes	Clothed as a monk in monastic habit, sometimes with an abbot's paterissa (crozier)

Anthony of Kiev (c. 983-1073) was a monk and the founder of the monastic tradition in the Kievan Rus'. Also called Anthony of the Caves (Russian: Антоний Печерский, Ukrainian: Антоній Печерський) he, together with Theodosius of Kiev, co-founded Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves).

He was born in Lyubech in Chernigov Principality and was baptized with the name "Antipas". He was drawn to the spiritual life from an early age and, when he was of age, left for the Greek Orthodox Esphigmenou Monastery on Mount Athos to live as a hermit. He lived in a secluded cave there overlooking the sea, which is still shown to visitors. In circa 1011, the abbot gave Anthony the job of expanding monasticism in his native Kiev, which had only recently begun its conversion to Christianity.

Anthony returned to Kiev, and founded several monasteries on the Greek model on the order of local princes. These monasteries were not as austere as Anthony was used to from his time on Mount Athos. He instead chose to live in a small four-yard cave which had been dug by the presbyter Hilarion.

In 1015, his peaceful austerity was interrupted by the death of Vladimir I of Kiev, and the subsequent fratricidal war for the throne between Vladimir's sons Yaroslav and Sviatopolk, and Anthony returned to Mount Athos. When the conflict ended, the abbot sent Anthony back to Kiev, prophesying that many monks would join him on his return.