The Role of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Printing House in the Development of Theological and Polemical Literature (17th–18th Centuries)

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Printing House, established in 1615 by Archimandrite Yelysei Pletenetskyi, played a pivotal role in shaping theological and polemical literature during the 17th–18th centuries. As a major cultural and educational hub in Central and Eastern Europe, it produced over seventeen significant publications, including religious texts and lexicons, while also advancing Ukrainian engraving through the work of master artisans like Illia and Leontii Tarasevych. The printing house maintained its own paper mills and had a well-organized distribution network, spreading its works across multiple regions, including the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Muscovy, and the Balkans. However, its influence waned in the 18th century due to Russian imperial censorship policies, which restricted publishing in Old Ukrainian language and led to the destruction of part of its archive in a fire in 1718. Despite these challenges, the Lavra's legacy endures as a testament to its profound impact on early modern Ukrainian and Eastern European book culture.

Mordvintsev, V., & Potomka, R. (2026). The Role of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Printing House in the Development of Theological and Polemical Literature (17th–18th Centuries). Ethnic History of European Nations, (79), 130–144. https://doi.org/10.17721/2518-1270.2026.79.15