Hilarion of the Kiev Caves

Venerable Hilarion of the Kiev Caves was a schemamonk of the Kiev Caves Lavra in the eleventh century, a disciple and fellow ascetic of Venerable Theodosius of the Caves. He was known as a strict ascetic who spent his days and nights in prayer with tears and in fasting. It is said that in Theodosius' cell he skilfully copied church books day and night, while his teacher sang psalms and spun wool.

His relics rest incorrupt in the Far Caves. Some scholars think that Saint Hilarion the schemamonk is the same as Hilarion, fifth Metropolitan of Kiev, installed in 1051 by a council of Russian bishops at the wish of Grand Prince Yaroslav; he is said to have led the Russian Church until 1055 or, by other accounts, until 1067. A catalogue of Russian bishops in the Saint Sophia Library of Novgorod says of Hilarion that he was laid to rest in the Caves Monastery and was, for his virtues, a saint and wonderworker. His death is placed in the year 1066.

He is commemorated on 21 October (new style), on 28 August in the Synaxis of the Fathers of the Far Caves, and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.