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Zvirynetski caves

ZVIRYNETSKI CAVES is an archaeological site. They are located in Kyiv in the area known as the Menagerie (now the territory of the Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). The caves were dug in the hill northwest of the Vydubychi Monastery at a depth of 13–14 m. The length of the explored area is about 150 m. They are a ringed complex consisting of five galleries, in the walls of which burial niches and cells are dug perpendicular to the corridor, as well as an underground church.

The cave cemetery belonged to the Zvirynetski Monastery (operated in the XII-XVII centuries). The oldest part of the cave necropolis consists of two underground streets, each of which had a separate entrance (later united by an underground street, on which there are no burials). The third street with later burials, where the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church can be traced, was dug during the XVI-XVII centuries independently of the previous two. It had a separate entrance and was probably later connected near the entrance to one of the ancient streets. The Fourth Street was dug at the beginning of the XX century in order to loop the cave labyrinth for the convenience of visiting pilgrims.

The Zvirynetski caves were discovered by accident in 1888 due to the landslide of the mountain. The discovered artefacts (leather shoes, crosses woven from leather belts, belts with embossed drawings) were kept in the museum of the Church Archaeological Society at the Kyiv Theological Academy. They were reopened in 1911 during another landslide. In 1912, on the initiative and at the expense of Prince V. Zhevakhov (see Joasaph), archaeological research was started under the leadership of O. Ertel, during which the underground galleries were cleared, their parameters were determined, the measurements of all cave structures were made, the ancient inscriptions discovered on the walls were photographed, the leather goods similar to the previous ones were found, the remains of ceramics, a cypress episcopal panagia and a metal icon with the image of the Mother of God with Child were found.

In 1913, the Zvirynets Skete was organized (existed until the 1930s), a building was erected with donations from pilgrims where all archaeological finds were stored (closed in 1934), and the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joasaph the Wonderworker of Belgorod (destroyed in the 1930s). The found icon of the Mother of God with Child was called Zvirynets by the decree of the Synod. In 1915, the most dangerous areas of the caves were reinforced with bricks, but it was not possible to complete excavations and construction work due to lack of funds.

In 1912–1934, the caves functioned as a place of religious pilgrimage and as an excursion object, later gradually falling into disrepair. In 1988, they were transferred to the Museum of the History of Kyiv for museumification. In the course of archaeological research under the leadership of O. Vorontsova in the 1990s. the remains of leather goods, ceramics, bricks (plinth and lithuanian), metal products, coins of the late XIX — early XX centuries were found. Fragments of inscriptions and images of crosses are recorded on the walls of the underground labyrinth (a total of 10 inscriptions and 6 images). S. Vysotsky dated the earliest of them to the first half of the XIII century.

The abbot of the Zvirynets Skete in 1914-1917, Fr. Valentyn, as well as I. Kamanin, who explored these caves, are buried in the Zvirynetski caves.