Overview of the monasteries of Crimea

Crimea every year attracts a huge number of tourists who like not only to soak up the beach, but also to admire the beauties of nature, prefer active, sightseeing rest. There are plenty of historically significant and holy places.

It will take quite a long time to see all the active holy monasteries on the peninsula. Among the monasteries, you can even find accommodation options, if the tourist's goal is solitude, pilgrimage.

There are a number of women's monasteries among such monasteries.

One of the most popular women's monasteries for both local residents and visitors is the Holy Trinity Monastery, named after Saint Paraskeva, in the vicinity of the village of Topolevka, located on the Feodosiya highway. This place is so attractive because gives you the opportunity to plunge into the font, wash in a waterfall, visit the temple itself, as well as the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity, Constantine's cave, and holy springs.

The area in which the monastery is located is worthy of a separate description - these are magnificent forests, mountains surrounding the holy place. There is a picturesque river valley nearby.Among the relics of the monastery: a particle of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the relics of the healer Panteleimon, St. Paraskeva.

The first, still wooden, building of the monastery was created in the 18th century, after a few decades it was demolished and a new one was erected, which today houses a convent. The territory is small, but very beautiful, in addition, there are several holy springs available to everyone.

The monastery contains the relics of St. Luke, the "Mourning" icon of the Mother of God, which are relics with miraculous properties. The Museum of St. Luke, who lived an amazing life that combined service to God and medicine, will demonstrate the history of this amazing saint, and there you can also learn about the healings that took place at his relics. The "Mourning" icon also has a completely unique history.

According to legend, one of the shepherds prayed at this place every day, who had a vision that is repeated annually on the day of St. George the Victorious. Later, his icon was found on the mountain, after which a decision was made to build a temple. Now in the village of Voikovo on the Kerch Peninsula, there is a small women's monastery on this place.

There are many monasteries on the territory of the peninsula.

Founded in the 15th century after the miraculous appearance of the icon of the Mother of God. It was built in the manner of the Greek Athos and has always been especially revered among believers and connoisseurs of history. In the XX century, the monastery became very large, on its territory there are 5 churches, chapels, many buildings. But in the Soviet period it fell into a dilapidated state. Only in the 90s did the monastery begin its great revival. Today the complex includes churches, cells, belfries, the cave church of St. Mark, the temple of Constantine and Helena.

This monastery is located in one of the most beautiful places on the peninsula, on a cliff above the sea. Nearby are the magnificent Marble Beam and Cape Fiolent. Data on the construction of the temple vary, according to some - it was founded in the 800s, according to others - in the 16th century. However, the temple was officially built in the middle of the 16th century, and only later archaeological finds were discovered, indicating that a monastery with an ancient cave temple was erected here earlier. The Church of the Nativity of Christ was built next to it.

Tourists are attracted not only by the luxurious architectural composition of the monastery, but also by the magnificent landscape that surrounds it.

This monastery especially attracts with its location of amazing beauty - a gorge in a nature reserve. Here you can find a healing spring, near which there was once a church with a hotel and a chapel, the latter, by the way, has survived to this day. Not only Orthodox, but also Muslims come here, since the legend about the life of Cosma and Damian is very remarkable. They practiced healing and were martyred on the site of a modern monastery. After their death, a spring, considered curative, was registered here as a mineral one.

One of the most historically young monasteries, located near Sevastopol. The history of its origin is extremely curious. Once, after a service in the church of St. Vladimir, a theft was discovered, many icons, silver vessels, books, and relics disappeared.

However, immediately after the service, one of the parishioners donated land to the temple for the construction of the monastery. Hieromonk Paisiy received a blessing for the construction of the monastery. This is not a very large monastery in terms of territory, but it is very revered, especially among pilgrims and patients suffering from oncology. The monastery has a chapel of St. Nektarios, invocations to which heal tumors.

The location of this monastery is extremely picturesque, the landscape there is very similar to that of Switzerland. The Kiziltash tract, where the monastery stands, is surrounded by red rocks. In one of the rocks there is a healing spring, next to which a temple was erected. According to legend, the cave was discovered by a shepherd hiding from the rain, who saw an icon of the Mother of God in the water. She was transferred to the church, but her whereabouts are now unknown.

After the murder of Abbot Parthenius and the burning of his body, it was decided to rank him among the saints and to call him the Kiziltash monastery. In Soviet times, the monastery was closed and abandoned, but at the end of the 90s of the XX century it began its work again.

The monastery was built not far from the cave city, the entrance to it was rather inaccessible. Today, in order to find the road leading to it, you need to work hard. This place is great for solitude, prayer and escape from the hustle and bustle of the world. Since the monastery is located above the valley, you need to climb to it. Despite the low 200-meter height, the ascent is not easy. But the view from the monastery is simply amazing.

There are other possibilities to get to the monastery, but they are no less difficult: in one case, you will have to squeeze through the rocky gorge "Mousetrap", in the other - to descend 20 meters from the Mangup plateau along the boulders.

The entrance to the monastery is preceded by a grotto, where you can put yourself in proper order before visiting. The cave temple and icons in rock niches are quite remarkable. The structure is quite unique, in fact, the monastery is located in two cave complexes. Artificial grottoes appeared in the 6th century, and the monastery was erected at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 90s of the XX century, the monastery in the rocks began to revive.

The architectural miracle is not the only thing that attracts tourists - pilgrims come to the holy spring, which is located on the territory, as well as to the icon "The Hearted One".

Information about the origin and construction of this cave monastery has not been preserved, since during the conquest of Crimea by the Turks, all the temples were destroyed. Modern tourists can contemplate particles of the relics of Sava the Sanctified, the myrrh-streaming icon of Sava of Serbia. On the plateau, there are cells and buildings for household purposes, a church, as well as a holy spring with a bath for visitors.

In addition, quite popular monasteries in Crimea are:

• St. Nicholas, Kholmovka;
• Uspensky Anastasievsky, Simferopol.

Since historically different nationalities lived on the territory of Crimea, it is natural that not only Orthodox churches can be viewed during a trip.

An amazing and mysterious place, the only Muslim monastery on the peninsula.The abode of the Mohammedans is located very well, in the tourist mecca of the Crimea, so there are a lot of tourists there. The monastery includes:

• flowing with cells;
• mosques for prayers;
• Sufi school madrasah.

Tekkie was closed during the Soviet era and began to revive about 10 years ago. Eastern Evpatoria itself is incredibly attractive for tourists, and its oldest building is even more so. It is both very simple and monumental. The height of the 2-storey monastery is 20 meters, the vaulted ceilings about 10 meters in height are amazing. There is a mosque adjoining the tekki; on the school grounds there is a museum of the culture of the Crimean Tatars.

This is the only monastery of this kind in Crimea, founded in the 15th century, although at one time there were several churches and 4 monasteries on the territory of the peninsula. The monastery is called Surb-Khach, that is, the Holy Cross. In Soviet times, it was abolished, and after the war, the monastery was destroyed for a long time. At the end of the 2000s, it reopened its doors to visitors and began to function for its intended purpose. It is located in the Old Crimea (Kirovsky district). Women are not allowed to enter the current cells, but ancient buildings are open, incredibly beautiful and miraculously survived.

On the territory of the Crimean peninsula, many ancient buildings have survived, among them there are monasteries.

This is the oldest cave-type monastery located in the suburbs of Sevastopol. According to legend, the construction of the temple took place after the martyrdom of Saint Clement in 101. At first, the relics were kept in a grotto under water, and then the first caves appeared, which became cells for monks. The temple, benches, throne, altars were literally hewn in stones. The Turks, who seized the Crimea, called the abode cave, that is, Inkerman.

When the peninsula became Russian, the monastery reopened, but only before the arrival of Soviet power. In the 90s of the XX century, the monastery was restored, now it functions. But until now, archaeologists find unique things on the territory.

This monastery is not very well known among tourists, but pilgrims willingly visit the Bakhchisarai monastery. It was completely destroyed after the invasion of the Turks. Full restoration and the beginning of full-fledged functioning took place in 2004. Apart from the monastery itself, it is extremely attractive the Belbek valley is beautiful and impressive.

On the territory there is a temple of Theodore Stratilates, which is located in the rock and resembles the dwelling of a huge serpent. This is a natural grotto. In addition, not far from it there is a holy spring that attracts visitors with its properties. To get to it, you need to go through a 140-meter grotto.

The disappeared village of Laki is famous in itself, but tourists visiting it should definitely see the Temple of St. Luke. There was once a Greek village in the Lak Valley, but in 1942 it was practically destroyed for aiding the partisans. Only the destruction of the temple was beyond the power of the enemies. In 2005, a man's monastery was opened under him - incredibly beautiful. bright and blessed place.

About the monasteries of the Crimea, see below.