Holiday on September 2, 2026: Christians honor Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves
On September 2, Orthodox Christians commemorate Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves—the founders of the Kiev Caves Monastery. It is their names that are associated with the beginning of Kyiv’s great monastic tradition, which later evolved into one of Ukraine’s most important spiritual and cultural centers. In 2026, this day falls on a Wednesday.
According to the New Julian calendar of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Day of Remembrance of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of Kyiv-Pechersk is observed on September 2. This is the date specified in the OCU’s official liturgical guidelines for 2026. In calendars that follow the old Julian style, this commemoration falls on September 15 according to the modern calendar.
It is not a public holiday, nor is it a day when it is customary to hold large-scale celebrations. For the faithful, it is first and foremost a day of church remembrance and prayer. Divine services are held in churches during which the two ascetics and their contribution to the development of monastic life are commemorated.
In 2026, the OCU plans to hold a separate service in honor of Anthony and Theodosius. The liturgical guidelines state that a regular service in honor of the venerable ones is held on September 2. The morning service includes the Polyeleos and the glorification of the saints. Therefore, for Orthodox Christians, this is first and foremost a day of spiritual reflection, not a day of popular festivities.
Who Is Anthony of Kyiv-Pechersk?
The Venerable Anthony is considered one of the founders of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. According to church tradition, he returned to Kyiv after spending time on Mount Athos, where he gained experience in the monastic life. In Kyiv, Anthony settled in a cave and began to lead a secluded life. Gradually, other people who wished to devote themselves to prayer and monastic life began to gather around him.
This is how a small cave community came into being, which eventually developed into a monastery. The official history of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra traces the monastery’s origins to the year 1051, when Anthony arrived at the cave on the hills of Kyiv. Anthony did not seek to lead a large community. When the number of monks increased, he appointed Varlaam as the first abbot and withdrew to a more secluded cave himself.
People continued to gather around him nonetheless. He was regarded as a spiritual mentor to whom people came for advice and blessings. It is to Anthony’s activities that the emergence of two cave complexes is attributed—the Near Caves, or Anthony’s Caves, and the Far Caves, traditionally known as Theodosius’s Caves.
Who Was Theodosius of the Caves
Theodosius became one of Anthony’s closest spiritual followers. He came to the cave and embraced the monastic way of life. Later, Theodosius became the abbot of the Caves Monastery. This happened after the previous abbot, Barlaam, left the monastery. According to historical records of the Lavra, Anthony blessed Theodosius for the abbotship.
While Anthony is better known as a hermit and spiritual mentor, Theodosius played a major role in organizing monastic life. He was responsible for maintaining order within the community and overseeing the rules by which the monks lived. According to church tradition, Theodosius introduced the Studite Rule at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Its foundation was the communal life of the brotherhood, in which the monks prayed, worked, and observed the established rules together. Over time, this rule became an important model for other monasteries in Kievan Rus’.
Theodosius is also known for his concern for ordinary people. In church tradition, he is described as a humble mentor who, even after being elected abbot, did not refuse to do simple work. Thus, Anthony and Theodosius complemented one another: the former laid the spiritual foundation of the monastery, while the latter helped organize the life of the large monastic community.
How the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Came to Be
The history of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra began with a small cave. At first, only a few monks prayed and lived there, but the community gradually grew. According to the Lavra’s historical chronicle, in 1051 Anthony came to a cave on the hills of Kyiv. About ten years later, when the number of monks had increased, the active development of the monastery began.
In 1063, Theodosius was elected abbot. A few years later, in 1073, construction began on the monastery’s main church—the Cathedral of the Dormition. Anthony died that same year. Theodosius died the following year—in 1074. Despite the deaths of its founders, the monastery continued to develop. Churches, cells, workshops, a library, and a school were built there.
Gradually, the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery became more than just a place of prayer. It evolved into an important center of education, chronicle-writing, scholarship, and culture. Among its residents were people who left a significant mark on the history of Ukraine and Kyiv. It was at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra that Nestor the Chronicler, traditionally considered one of the authors of *The Tale of Bygone Years*, lived and worked.
Why Are Anthony and Theodosius Mentioned Together?
In church tradition, Anthony and Theodosius are inextricably linked to the history of the Pechersk Monastery. They played different roles, but together they laid the foundation for the monastery. Anthony was a model of a solitary monastic life and spiritual guidance. People who wanted to learn the monastic way of life came to him. Theodosius, on the other hand, focused on the life of the entire community. He organized the daily life of the brethren, established rules, and ensured that the monastery developed as a community.
Therefore, their story is often viewed as an example of the combination of two aspects of monastic life—personal prayer and service to the community. That is precisely why the Church established a joint day of remembrance for these two venerable figures. On September 2, 2026, the OCU will commemorate both saints separately in the liturgical calendar.
What People Do on This Day
On the Day of Remembrance of Anthony and Theodosius, believers first and foremost attend church. There, they can pray during the Liturgy and remember the saints in their prayers. This day is especially important for people connected to monastic life. Believers can pray for spiritual strength, wisdom, patience, and help in difficult circumstances.
In churches, prayers and passages from the Holy Scriptures are read, and the troparion and kondakion to the venerable saints are sung. The OCU has planned a separate liturgical commemoration of Anthony and Theodosius for September 2, 2026. On this day, one can also visit sites associated with the history of the Pechersk Monastery. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra remains one of Kyiv’s most famous historical and spiritual complexes.
At the same time, one should not confuse church tradition with the numerous folk omens that are sometimes attributed to various dates in popular calendars. For the Church, the main significance of this day is the commemoration of the saints and their spiritual feats.
Interesting Facts About Anthony and Theodosius
Anthony is associated with Mount Athos. According to church tradition, he visited the Holy Mountain and, upon his return, brought the tradition of Eastern monasticism to Kyiv.
The caves gave the monastery its name. It was the very way of life of the first monks in their underground cells that led to the monastery being named the Pechersky Monastery.
Anthony was not a permanent abbot. He handed over leadership of the monastery to Varlaam and later blessed Theodosius to become abbot. Anthony himself continued to live as a hermit.
Theodosius died before the monastery’s history was complete. He passed away in 1074, but the rules of monastic life he helped establish continued to be followed.
Construction of the Cathedral of the Dormition began while both saints were still alive. Its foundation stone was laid in 1073, during Anthony’s final year.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra became a center of scholarship. In the centuries that followed, chroniclers, translators, writers, and printers worked here. The Lavra became one of Kyiv’s most important cultural centers.
What is the significance of this day today?
The commemoration of Anthony and Theodosius serves as a reminder of Kyiv’s millennial history and the Ukrainian Christian tradition. Their story began in a small cave, but over time, a large monastic complex grew up around it. For believers, it is first and foremost a day of prayer and remembrance of those who dedicated their lives to their convictions. For historians, it is an opportunity to discuss the development of monasticism, education, and scholarship in medieval Kyiv.
Over the centuries, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has weathered various periods—growth, wars, fires, destruction, and revival. Despite this, the memory of its founders has been preserved. Today, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra remains an important part of Kyiv’s historical heritage. The Lavra’s official history dates its founding to the mid-11th century and attributes it specifically to the Venerable Anthony and Theodosius.
Therefore, September 2 is not just a date on the church calendar. It is a day to commemorate two people whose names are forever linked to the founding of one of Ukraine’s most famous monasteries.
