The Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Caves

Life

The founder and father of monasticism in Russia. Born in the small town of Liubech near Chernigov, he early left his homeland and went to the Holy Mountain, where he was tonsured and struggled ascetically in the Monastery of Esphigmenou. According to a certain heavenly revelation, the abbot directed him to Russia to establish monasticism there. He chose a certain cave near Kiev. When those who desired the monastic life gathered around him, he appointed Theodosius as their abbot, while he himself remained in the cave as a hesychast. By the blessing of God the monastery grew and became the matrix of Russian monasticism. Anthony endured many malicious assaults from men and from demons, but he conquered all by his meekness. He had a great gift of clairvoyance and healing of the sick. He departed to the Lord in the year 1073, in the ninetieth year of his life, leaving his spiritual nursery to bring forth good fruits through the centuries for the Orthodox people in Russia.