Near Caves

50°26′02″N 30°33′41″E / 50.4340°N 30.5614°E / 50.4340; 30.5614

The Near Caves or the Caves of Saint Anthony^[1] (Ukrainian: Ближні печери, Blyzhni pechery; Russian: Ближние пещеры, Blizhnie peschery) are historic caves and a network of tunnels of the medieval cave monastery of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The Near Caves have a total length of 383 metres and are 5 to 20 metres deep (see map).^[2]

The Near Caves were founded when in 1057, Saint Varlaam was appointed as the first hegumen (abbot) of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra by Saint Anthony. Monk Anthony withdrew himself from the monastery and later settled on a new hill, where he dug out a new underground cell, now called the Near Caves.^{[citation needed]}