Today, September 15, the Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Pechersk Monastery.translated

The Orthodox Church commemorates on September 15 the Founders of Monasticism in Russia – the Holy Fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Pechersk Monastery.

Image: azbyka.ru

St. Anthony was born in 983 near Chernigov, in Lyubech. From a young age, he desired to dedicate himself to God's service. As soon as an opportunity arose, he left for Mount Athos, where he took monastic vows and began his ascetic struggle.

Seeing the holiness of the ascetic’s life and being inspired by God, the abbot of the Athonite monastery sent St. Anthony back to Rus' so that true monasticism might also appear there.

None of the existing monasteries in Kyivan Rus' satisfied St. Anthony, so he settled in a cave previously excavated by Priest Ilarion on one of the hills of Kyiv, near the Dnieper River, at the foot of a forest close to the village of Berestovo.

It was there that St. Anthony continued his monastic labors, and news of his holiness soon spread throughout Rus', so that people began coming from all directions to him.

In time, around St. Anthony gathered a circle of disciples, forming a monastic community. He appointed an igumen over them and retired to a new cave, but soon others began settling near it as well.

Thus the Near Cave and the Far Cave were formed.