The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve is one of the key centers of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, a leading research and museum institution, and a site included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The first mention of the Lavra dates back to 1051. The Lavra is one of the oldest monastic complexes in Europe, having played a leading role over the centuries in shaping spiritual traditions, chronicle-writing, and the development of architecture and the arts during the era of the princes.