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The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was established in 1051 – ten years earlier than St. Mark's Basilica in [[Venice]], three centuries before the world-famous [[Notre Dame Cathedral]], and four centuries before the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in [[Florence]]. The Russian Orthodox shrine is twice as old as St. Peter’s Basilica in the [[Vatican]].

The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was established in 1051 – ten years earlier than St. Mark's Basilica in [[Venice]], three centuries before the world-famous [[Notre Dame Cathedral]], and four centuries before the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in [[Florence]]. The Russian Orthodox shrine is twice as old as St. Peter’s Basilica in the [[Vatican]].

In the 13th century the church leadership of [[Kievan Rus]] was transferred to [[Moscow]] due to the Mongol invasion and became the Moscow Patriarchate.

In the 13th century the church leadership of [[Kievan Rus]] was transferred from Kiev to [[Moscow]] due to the Mongol invasion and became the Moscow Patriarchate.

The monastery has survived the [[Mongol]] invasion, persecution of [[Orthodox Christian]]s by [[Poland|Polish]] [[Catholic]]s, the [[Western civilization|Western invasions]] of Napolean Bonaparte and [[Adolf Hitler]], and the rule of the fiercely [[atheist]] [[Bolshevik]]s.  The monastery's 1,000 year history is inseparably bound up with the history of Russia.

The monastery has survived the [[Mongol]] invasion, persecution of [[Orthodox Christian]]s by [[Poland|Polish]] [[Catholic]]s, the [[Western civilization|Western invasions]] of Napolean Bonaparte and [[Adolf Hitler]], and the rule of the fiercely [[atheist]] [[Bolshevik]]s.  The monastery's 1,000 year history is inseparably bound up with the history of Russia.