Sviatohorsk Cave Monastery (Donetsk region)

    Slightly to the south-east of the city of Kharkov, on the banks of Seversky Donets, is Svyatogorskiy Cave Monastery. The documents referred to a place in the 15 st century. In Soviet times monastery buildings were used, as many other churches - for other purposes. Active return monastery buildings undergoing restoration and the last ten years.The first monks to settle the area were in the 14th-15th centuries.
      The first written mention of the monastery was in 1526. In 1624, the monastery was officially recognized as the Sviatohorsk Uspensky Monastery. During times of the Crimean Khanate, the monastery was invaded a couple of times. The monastery was of great importance in the Russian Empire, which was sometimes considered as the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra of the southwest.



    Before World War I, the monastery was inhabited by approx. 600 monks. During the 1930s, the monastery was destroyed by the Soviets, along with other numerous religious attractions throughout the Soviet Union. After Ukraine gained independence with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the monastery was restored in 1992, and the buildings rebuilt. In 2004, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church restored the monastery to its status as a lavra. Today, the growing monastery community consists of more than 100 monks.



    Of archival documents known that prior to the construction of the first land-XVI century temples in the entire monastery has been concentrated in caves inside the Cretaceous rocks.
Temple of Saint Nicholas at the top of the Cretaceous rocks was also cave in ancient times. Up to the present day it preserved the altar, carved in the Cretaceous rocks.



     Inside the cathedral is Svyatogorskaya Chudotvornaya icon of the Mother of God. Long time, the image was in the cave, and the church was saved from moisture, and fire. In sovetstkoe image has been saved time and again by people moved to the monastery in 1992. At the ceremonial bell-Lavra collected 54 bells. The biggest ( "Igumensky") weighs more than 6 tons. Monks Lavra already mastered melodies ringing 25.

    Nature there is, indeed, unique. They say that this place is very strong ionization of the air. Vi rtually no wind.
     The monastery male. For women, skirts and head covered - are required. No scarves can be bought and on the ground.) Entries in the temples discovered in some time. To reach the upper possible, but avoiding the mountains around the monastery.
    In the territory of the monastery, by the way, also has a hotel, which moved willing (by appointment) on obedience. They go to the service, perform some petty work.



     The wooden temple, surrounded chastokolom - and perhaps most unusual of Svyatogorya facilities. This - Vsehsvyatsky skit, or more correctly - Skit All Saints Russian Land. Now here already live monks. Unfortunately, to get into its territory only four times a year - in the skit are removed, especially in order to minimize contact with the outside world.