Overview of the cave monastery "Shuldan" in Crimea

Travelers exploring the main attractions of the Crimean Peninsula should not miss the Shuldan Monastery of Christ the Savior. You should definitely visit it, get imbued with the spirit of ancient history and reflect on the perishability of life next to the shrine. Travelers visiting the temple have a very picturesque view from a height of the surroundings of the Shul Valley, of the mountains covered with green vegetation.

The structure of the monastery consists of 20 caves, which are carved into the rock, and the main temple is about 20 m² in area. The cave city is located on a rock mass and consists of the cave monastery of Christ the Savior, which is currently being restored by the forces of the hermits themselves. There are caves and grottoes near the monastery. Near the shrine there is a spring with a small font in the rock. The entrance to the cave in which the modern hermit lives is clearly visible from below.

Tourists from afar can see an unusual structure - a tower built of stones and decorated with a shiny golden dome. It rises majestically above the canopy of the entrance to the main temple and harmoniously complements the surrounding picture. The tower was built quite recently, but it has become a regular tourist destination. The entrance to the tower is completely free, and anyone can come up and admire it up close.

Descent and ascent to the monastery looks like overcoming obstacles, the flimsy wooden staircase is especially impressive.

"Shuldan" refers to cave monasteries. It was founded in the 8th century AD. NS. monks who fled from Byzantium. These times are known as the period of the struggle of the emperors of Byzantium Leo and Constantine from the Isaurian dynasty with icons. Refugee monks settled near modern Sevastopol and founded a monastery here. Perhaps they had the experience of building similar monasteries in caves in their homeland, in Athos.

The monastery existed until the 15th-16th centuries. The monks lived modestly, secluded themselves engaged in viticulture and made wine, about 300 thousand liters of wine were produced per year. This occupation was the main income of the monks. To this day, frescoes dating from the XII-XIII centuries have been preserved on the walls of the caves. Now the monastery is home to modern monks who are engaged in its restoration. In the monastery, they are used to equip cells for monks and monks, outbuildings and an open main temple for pilgrims.

The monastery became a shelter for people who got into difficult life situations, who abused alcohol or drugs. In the recent past, the monks of the monastery helped such people undergo rehabilitation and return to normal life. After these people stayed in the monastery and helped the monks to improve it, and it is not surprising that everywhere in every small grotto there is a place for living and there is simple belongings (dishes, teapots, trestle beds with bedspreads, tables). But among the hermits there are also foreign clergy.

By the joint efforts of the hermits and monks, a chapel tower was built, located above the entrance to the monastery's caves.

The main temple is made in the style of a basilica, it was hollowed out inside the rock, the vaults resemble a box in shape, and the altar is separated by an arch. In the center there is a recess for the installation of a throne, on which one of the church ministers was supposed to sit. From the north side, you can enter the chapel and see frescoes depicting the Mother of God on its walls. The structure of the temple is such that all rooms are located near a long common terrace. If you walk along the terrace, you can enjoy the wonderful views of the Shul Valley.

Visitors to the temple can stroll through the fenced gallery, which offers a picturesque view of the mountains, and enter through carved doors into the premises of the cave temple. This place is richly decorated with icons and paintings made in the Orthodox tradition. In the temple, you can put candles, pray for help and touch the shrine yourself. Texts of prayers are hung on the walls of the temple. And after leaving the monastery, you can walk down to the cave of the modern hermit.

The baptismal font is a small depression carved into the rock, water seeps into it from the rock, and the baptismal font gradually fills up. A small icon is installed above the font. You can wash in the font, and especially the brave can even bathe. The water temperature in the font is + 4-5 ° С. On the way there are beautiful grottoes. Ivy wriggle along the rocks. You can find a spring under the rock and draw water. Descending the mountain is always more difficult than climbing, and the way back usually takes a little longer.

On the left you can enjoy the view of Mangup.

Around the temple there are small hollowed out caves with stairs and everything needed for hermits to live. Especially interesting for tourists will be inspection of the burial place of monks. If you look closely, you can see the supposed burial places of the dead in small openings in the floor and walls. The body was placed in a niche, covered with a heavy slab, and only after 3 years were the remains removed to the ossuary.

There are no electric wires to the monastery, so the monks, as in the old days, use kerosene lamps. For heating the temple and cells in winter, firewood is used, which is obtained with great difficulty on the plateau, and then, with the help of special and very primitive devices, is lowered down. If you walk a little towards Ternovka, you can also see similar caves. There is monastery "Chelter"... There are about fifty such caves in total, they are located in 4 tiers.

Usually tourists prefer to use public transport to get to the cave monastery. To do this, in Sevastopol at the Zapadnaya bus station, you need to take a bus with the destination station Zalesnoye village. You will need to leave earlier, at the Avtomobilnaya station; the dam of the reservoir will help you navigate. Then go on foot in the direction of the village Ternovka. On the right, there will be a dirt road leading to the monastery.

Currently, unfortunately, there are no special excursion tours to the Shuldan monastery, tourists and believers enter its territory freely and free of charge. It is quite windy upstairs, where the monastery is located, so it is better to put on a windbreaker or a light jacket. When going on a trip, you need to have sports shoes. And for those who are afraid of heights, it is better to think about the expediency of the hike. The path to the monastery is laid along steep mountain paths and there are not always fences.

Visitors to the Shuldan cave monastery will experience real peace and tranquility, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings. But when visiting the temple, some careless travelers leave behind mountains of garbage, and this spoils the impression of visiting such a colorful place. Nevertheless, a real connoisseur will not pay attention to such trifles and will capture beautiful views of Ternovka, the reservoir, grape plantations on the slope on the camera.

Watch the excursion to the Shuldan monastery in the video below.