Saint Peter Mohyla (Bishop of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and All Rus’, Exarch of the See of Constantinople) at one time drew attention to the special beauty and seclusion of the picturesque surroundings of Kyiv – Goloseev. He bought part of the forest along with a small clearing as his own and built here in the 17th century a temple in the name of the Great Martyr John of Sochava and several cell houses for the brethren. Thus, the foundation was laid for the skete Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra, later called the Goloseevskaya Hermitage.
Over time, the temple was renamed in honor of the icon of the Mother of God, called the “Life-Giving Source.” In 1852, with the blessing of the ruling bishop, St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia (Amphiteatrov), the monastery was named Holy Protection. In 1910-1912, a new stone church was built on the site of the old wooden one. In addition to temples and cells, in the Goloseevskaya hermitage there was a summer residence of the Kyiv metropolitans with a house church in honor of St. John the Long-Suffering, Pechersky, a hotel, a Lavra farmstead and other buildings.
In 1926, 9 years after the October Revolution, Goloseevskaya Hermitage was closed. During the Soviet period of history, all its churches and buildings were destroyed, with the exception of the house of the Kyiv metropolitans. During the Great Patriotic War, the second line of defense for the city of Kyiv passed through the Goloseevskaya Hermitage, and fierce battles were fought here. However, not a single shell hit the monastic cemetery where the Monk Alexy Goloseevsky was buried. In 1993, the monastery was re-opened as a monastery of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. In the same year, the relics of St. Alexy Goloseevsky were found and transferred to the temple, and a house church was opened in honor of St. John the Long-Suffering. In 1996, according to the decision of the Holy Synod, Goloseevskaya Hermitage became an independent monastery. A temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God, called the “Life-Giving Source,” and a monastic cemetery have been restored in it; a new church was built on the site of the former metropolitan house; Monastic and administrative buildings, the governor’s house with a house church in honor of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, a hotel and other monastic buildings grew.
In the Goloseevskaya Hermitage, which is located in Goloseevsky National Natural Park and next to Goloseevskiy Park named after Maxim Rylsky and botanical garden of the National University of Bioresources and Nature Management of Ukraine, also located a holy place known among pilgrims – the tomb of Mother Alipia.
Where is the Holy Intercession Monastery (Goloseevskaya Hermitage)?
Colonel Zatevakhin Street, 14
+38 (044) 374-06-79
on weekdays: 06:10 – morning service, 17:45 – evening service; on Sundays, liturgy: 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00; Akathist to the Mother of God – on Fri, Sat and all after the liturgy; memorial service – daily, 09:00 at the relics of Mother Alipia and at 12:00 in the chapel