Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Kiev, Ukraine. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1051 the Lavra has been a preeminent center of the Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. Currently, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra is a national heritage site and one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites within Ukraine. The complex serves as the official residence of Metropolitan Volodymyr (Viktor Sabodan), the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
