Kyiv - Ukraine - page 94

Underground, the mummified monks' bodies, preserved in glass cases, are clothed and
you only see the occasional protruding toe or finger. The coffins are arranged in niches in
the tunnels, underground dining hall and three subterranean churches . Antony, the
monastery's founder, and Nestor the Chronicler are just two of the 123 bodies down here.
Students consider the latter their patron saint and leave candles near his mummy to have
luck at exams. Another notable monk lying here is Ioann the Long-Sufferer, who fought
the sin of womanising by half-burying himself in the ground every year for the duration
of Lent. As a result, his sinning lower half completely decayed, while his saintly upper
half remained intact. Would it be accurate to call him a half-saint, we wonder?
Tourists are only allowed into the first section of the caves, as many areas are cor-
doned off for Orthodox pilgrims and clergy. Monks frequently guard the entrance to re-
stricted tunnels and are expert at spotting foreigners and nonbelievers.
Visiting the caves when they're not crowded can be a very moving experience.
However, their low, narrow passageways are not for the seriously claustrophobic. If you
visit on a busy day, it's total chaos down there. The monks' bodies are believed to have
healing powers and pilgrims will bow to kiss the feet of one, before quickly diving to the
other side of the tunnel to kiss the hand of another. Lost in religious ecstasy or sheer nov-
elty, people wave their lit candles dangerously close to your back and face, particularly if
you're a woman wearing a flammable headscarf - you will, frankly, feel more vulnerable
than in the mosh pit of a punk-rock concert. It's an experience you will never forget, but
if you like to take things calmly, choose a weekday visit.
The Further Caves ( 8.30am-4.30pm) were the original caves built by An-
tony and Feodosy. Their entrance is in the Church of the Conception of St Ann (1679),
reached from the Nearer Caves by a viaduct. This cave system is also lined with orna-
mented mummified monks and contains three underground churches. Uphill from the
Church of the Conception of St Ann is the seven-domed Church of the Nativity of the
Virgin (1696). Rising to the right is the unusual high-baroque Bell Tower of Further
Caves (1761).
From the Further Caves it's a long walk back up the hill to the main entrance on vul
Sichnevoho Povstannya, or you can exit (or enter) at the nearby lower entrance . There
may be taxis waiting at the lower entrance, or you can walk 15 minutes' north along busy
Naberezhne shose to the Dnipro metro station.
Mystetsky Arsenal ARTS CENTRE
( http://artarsenal.in.ua ; vul Lavrska 12; 11am-8pm; Arsenalna) Once a storage for gun-
powder and harnesses, these days it is a playground for visionary curators - each exhibi-
tion becomes an event of national importance. Eclecticism rules - exhibitions feature