Saint Anthony Caves

When Anthony of Kyiv arrived in Boldina Gora in the second part of the nineteenth century, the history of the Saint Anthony caves in Chernihiv, Ukraine began. He excavated a cave for seclusion and prayers because the place had a special power. The cave deserves to be one of the most beautiful caves in Ukraine to visit.

The cave where St Anthony is said to have spent the last 40 years of his life is located about 300 meters above St Anthony's Monastery on a cliff just beyond the monastery walls. There is a little chapel with an altar and a tiny recessed room where the saint lived inside the cave, which is exclusively for the fit and non-claustrophobic (you must squeeze through a narrow entrance to get inside). Bring a torch (flashlight) to illuminate the inside.

The entrance is marked by a little church, after which you descend into a maze of tunnels that get smaller, colder, and darker as you progress deeper into the hill. A series of modest chapels led to medieval monks' cells and burial chambers, including one little rotunda with room above for a small choir.

Visitors to the Saint Anthony Caves are said to have observed a mysterious force. Some visitors get energised, cheerful, and light-hearted, and their depression lifts.

Length: 350 meters

Depth: 350 meters

Location: Chernihiv, Ukraine