Founded and Promoted Monasteries in Medieval Ukraine
Antony was born in 983 in Lubech near Chernigov and at first tried to be a hermit after the Egyptian model.
He soon realized that he needed training in this life as in anything else and went to the famous monastery in Mt. Athos. Later, leaving Mt. Athos he ultimately set up his abode in a cave on a wooded cliff near the river Dnieper in Kiev.
There he was joined by many who began a community in nearby caves. Given land by Prince Syaslav, the monks built a wooden monastery and church dedicated to the Dormition of Mary. Handing over the direction of the community to one Barlaam, Antony went on to found another monastery in Chernigov.
One of Antony’s early disciples was Theodosius Pechersky. Succeeding Barlaam as abbot, Theodosius was the real organizer of the community. Theodosius sought to balance the contemplative and the active ways of perfection, seeking to harmonize the needs of men as they are with the call to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth.
Ultimately, through their monasteries, Sts. Anthony and Theodosius greatly influenced the life of the Ukraine.
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