The Twelve Greek Craftsmen

The Twelve Greek Craftsmen were builders and icon painters who came from Constantinople to build and adorn the church of the Dormition in the Kiev Caves Lavra, around 1072. They are venerated as venerable saints, and their relics rest in the Near Caves (of Saint Anthony). They are commemorated on 14 February and on 28 September, in the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Near Caves (Julian calendar); the Ukrainian source notes 27 February and 11 October, which are the same days by the new calendar. Their names are not known.

The Kiev Caves Paterikon relates that the craftsmen came to Kiev twice, at the wonderful call of the Mother of God. The first four arrived before the foundation of the Dormition church was laid (before 1073). Coming to Venerable Anthony and Theodosius, they asked where they wished to build the church and, hearing that the place had not yet been decided, they were upset, saying that they had been given so much gold but did not know where to build. The venerable ones gathered the whole brotherhood and questioned the Greeks about what had happened. The Mother of God then gave them the relics of the martyrs Artemius, Polyeuctus, Leontius, Acacius, Arethas, James and Theodore, to be placed in the foundation of the church, showed them in the sky the image of the future church and, when asked what to call it, answered: it shall be the church of the Mother of God. She also gave them an icon, commanding that it be placed in the church, in its place.

The second group of craftsmen, icon painters, came to Abbot Nikon ten years after the death of Anthony and Theodosius, but said that they had received from them payment for painting a small church, that the Dormition was too large, and that they wished to give back the gold and go. Nikon told them that the venerable ones had died, showed them their images, and the Greeks recognised in them those with whom they had bargained. The craftsmen told that the image of the church had appeared to them several times on the road from Constantinople. Seeing its size, they wished to turn back, but a storm stopped them, and then they heard a voice coming from the icon that had appeared to them.

The Paterikon says that all the craftsmen received the tonsure, stayed in the monastery and, after death, were laid in their porch; their garments lie there to this day on the bench, and their Greek books are kept in memory of such a miracle. One point of interest: the Paterikon says that among the craftsmen who brought the material for the mosaic and stayed to build and adorn the cathedral were Abkhazians. According to the Ukrainian source, they were buried at first in the porch of the Dormition cathedral.