Kyiv Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. A cave monastery founded in 1051 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Great Lavra Bell Tower and the Dnipro from above
The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in the evening with its bell tower lit up
The golden domes of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra above the Dnipro
The golden domes of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra churches
The green domes of the Lavra churches among the trees
The Trinity Gate Church of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
The Great Lavra Bell Tower and the Dnipro from aboveThe Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk LavraThe Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in the evening with its bell tower lit upThe golden domes of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra above the DniproThe golden domes of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra churches

The oldest monastery of Rus, founded in 1051 as a cave hermitage in the hills on the right bank of the Dnipro. Today it is an 18th-century architectural ensemble, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important spiritual and historical places in Ukraine. In 2026 the Lavra celebrates its 975th anniversary.

Why visit

  • The oldest monastery of Rus, founded in 1051; in 2026 it marks 975 years of history
  • A UNESCO World Heritage Site with a unique 18th-century Baroque ensemble
  • The Near and Far Caves, the very caves where the monastery’s history began in the 11th century
  • The Great Lavra Bell Tower, 96.5 meters high, one of the tallest bell towers in the world, with a panorama of Kyiv
  • The Trinity Gate Church of 1106–1108, one of the oldest surviving buildings of pre-Mongol Rus
  • The Dormition Cathedral, destroyed by an explosion in 1941 and rebuilt from scratch in the early 2000s

Good to know

Ticket prices
The general ticket (entry to the grounds and all open exhibitions on the day of your visit) is UAH 260, reduced for school students, university students and pensioners of Ukraine UAH 130. The evening walking ticket from 16:00 (the grounds, the Church of Saints Anthony and Theodosius with the Refectory, and the first and third tiers of the Bell Tower) is UAH 50.
Who enters free
Members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, combat veterans and preschool children usually enter free.
Opening hours
The reserve is open daily, 9:00 to 17:00, with no days off. The evening walking ticket is valid from 16:00.
The reserve is open every day
There are no days off. Saturdays and Sundays are usually busier. Religious holidays may change access to some churches because of festive liturgies.
Dress code required
This is a working monastery: women should cover their heads with a scarf and wear a skirt below the knee or loose trousers, and men should wear long trousers. Shorts, tank tops and revealing clothes are not allowed.
Caves: groups by booking only
The Lower Lavra is open only on organized routes to the caves. The Near Caves are open Wednesday to Sunday, in groups booked in advance. During an air raid alert, cave visits stop; flash photography is not allowed.
Museums on the grounds: separate tickets
The Mykola Siadrystyi Museum of Microminiatures and the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine are on the Lavra grounds but are not directly part of the reserve, so they need separate tickets.
Getting there
The nearest metro station is Arsenalna. From the exit it is about a 15–20 minute walk along Lavrska Street, past the Park of Eternal Glory. Bus No. 24 (from the Central Railway Station via Khreshchatyk), trolleybus No. 38 (from Vydubychi), minibuses No. 470 and No. 520: stop “Kyievo-Pecherska Lavra”.

The monastery was founded by the monks Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves in the mid-11th century: they dug the first caves in the hill above the Dnipro, which gave the monastery its name, “Pechersk”, from the word for caves. The ensemble took on its present Baroque look mostly in the 18th century, after a great fire destroyed most of the earlier buildings. The main entrance is through the Trinity Gate Church of 1106–1108, one of the oldest fully preserved monuments of pre-Mongol Rus architecture. The complex is roughly divided into the Upper Lavra, home to the main churches and museum exhibitions, and the Lower Lavra with the Near and Far Caves, the very caves where the monastery’s history began. The Dormition Cathedral, the Lavra’s main church, was destroyed by an explosion in 1941 and rebuilt from scratch in the early 2000s. On the grounds stands the Great Lavra Bell Tower, 96.5 meters high, one of the tallest bell towers in the world, with a panorama of Kyiv’s entire historic center and the Dnipro. Besides the church buildings, the reserve is home to several museums, including the Mykola Siadrystyi Museum of Microminiatures and the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine; they are not directly part of the reserve and need separate tickets. Since the Lavra is a working monastery complex, there is a dress code: women should cover their heads with a scarf and wear a skirt below the knee or loose trousers, and men should wear long trousers. Shorts, tank tops and revealing clothes are not allowed.