The Epiphany or Theophany Monastery (better known as Bratsky, or Brotherhood Monastery) is an Orthodox monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

 in Podil

Podil

The Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...

, Kiev

Kiev

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

, Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

, in the vicinity of Kontraktova Square

Kontraktova Square

Kontraktova Square or Kontraktovaya Square is a square in the historic Podil neighborhood of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The square is an important economic, cultural, and transport center of the Podil, containing numerous architectural and historical monuments.-History:Kontraktova Square is...

. Its history has been interwoven with that of Mohyla Academy which now occupies the remaining monastery buildings.

The monastery is supposed to have been founded by Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople

Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople

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. Patriarch Theophanes III of Jerusalem had it reorganized as a "brotherhood school", hence the name. Its benefactors included Petro Sahaidachny (whose tomb was on the grounds), Petro Mohyla

Petro Mohyla

Metropolitan Peter was a Metropolitan of Kiev, Halych and All-Rus' from 1633 until his death. He was born into a Moldavian boyar family — the Movileşti — one that gave Moldavia and Wallachia several rulers, including his father, Ieremia Movilă. His mother, Margareta, was a Hungarian noble lady...

 (who raised its status to that of collegium

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

), and Ivan Mazepa

Ivan Mazepa

Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, from 1687–1708. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter I's intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him...

 (who asked Osip Startsev to design the five-domed katholikon

Katholikon

A Katholikon or Catholicon is the major temple of a monastery, or diocese in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The name derives from the fact that it is the largest temple where all gather together to celebrate the major feast days of the liturgical year. At other times, the smaller temples or...

 in a style known as Mazepa Baroque).

Mazepa's church, belfry

Bell tower

A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...

, and most other buildings of the monastery were demolished by the Soviets in 1935. The remaining buildings have been either reduced to ruins or rebuilt with significant alterations (as was a refectory

Refectory

A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...

church, dating from the 17th century).