The ancient cave monastery Shuldan (Giving Echoes), is located north of the village of Ternovka, at an altitude of 540 meters above sea level, on the Shuldan rock, which hangs over the Shul valley. The two-tier monastery complex includes two cave temples and about 20 caves.
In the history of the monastery, two periods of construction can be distinguished. The initial complex of the monastery could have been created in the XIII-XIV centuries, then, no earlier than the end of the XIV-early XV century, the monastery was rebuilt, the temple was expanded, and a new baptistery appeared. Probably, the remaining premises of the monastery were built in the 14th-15th centuries. Since the end of the 15th century, after the capture of Crimea by the Turks, the monastery practically ceased to function.
Now the monastery is becoming operational again. Gradually, the monks are restoring the monastery; the cells, connected by homemade stairs, have already been restored, as well as outbuildings.
It is best to start getting acquainted with the monastery from the first temple, located on the first tier. This is a temple in the shape of an elongated rectangle, with a horseshoe-shaped altar.
To the north of the temple there is a chapel. The second church is located on the second tier, above the eastern entrance to the monastery. Her throne is an arched niche in the eastern part of the cave.
Kiziltashsky St. Stephen of Sourozh Monastery
In a small valley, among the parted rocks, right at the foot of the Kizil-Tash ridge, a monastery was founded. This event took place in the 19th century, and the monastery was named in honor of St. Stephen of Sourozh.
These places have long attracted believers. According to legend, Stefan of Sourozh loved to retire and pray at the foot of the red rocks. The remains of the foundation of a building made of untreated stone and lime mortar were also found here. Judging by external signs, they belong to a Christian medieval temple.
The first settlers of the monastery were the wandering pilgrims Andronnik and Panteleimon. They built a small house of worship and a modest home. The monks lived and worked here until 1923. After the closure of the monastery, in its courtyard there was a labor colony, a sanatorium, and even a secret military unit where nuclear warheads were stored - truly, the ways of the Lord are inscrutable!
The new history of the monastery began in 1998. A new temple was built in honor of the Kiev-Pechersk saints, the founders of monasticism in Rus'. The cave with the holy spring has been completely restored, the old cemetery is being put in order. At the former entrance to the monastery, guests are greeted by the figure of a white angel with open wings, a cross and a scroll in his hands. The only thing the brothers-monks urgently ask guests to do is to respect the holy places.
Assumption Cave Monastery
One of the main attractions of Bakhchisaray is the Assumption Cave Monastery, located in the Mariam-Dere tract. On the territory adjacent to the monastery complex there is a cemetery for soldiers who fell during the Crimean War of 1854-1857. The Assumption Cave Monastery was built in the 8th century by Byzantine monks.
In the 13th century, it temporarily ceased its activities, and then was revived again at the beginning of the 14th century. In 1475, the Assumption Monastery miraculously escaped destruction during a Turkish raid and became the residence of the metropolitan. Despite this, the financial situation of the temple was disastrous; its abbots were forced to ask for help from the great Moscow kings and princes. From the 15th to the 18th centuries, the Assumption Monastery played a leading role in the religious life of the Orthodox population of Crimea.
The main shrine of the monastery is the icon of the Mother of God; in the monastery it is also called Panagia (All-Holy). Other valuable samples include the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God, as well as copies of the icons of the Mother of God of Kiev-Pechersk and the Mother of God of the Three Hands.
Armenian monastery Surb Khach
Surb-Khach is an ancient Armenian monastery. It was built in Crimea, among ancient forests, on the very slope of Mount Gritsya, relatively close to the city of Old Crimea. Mount Hrytsia is also called Holy Cross, Holy, Monastic, these names apparently appeared with the construction of the monastery. And the name of the monastery Surb-Khach can be translated as “Holy Cross”. On the territory of Crimea, this is the only monastery that has survived from the Armenian churches and monasteries of the Middle Ages. Since 1963, it was given the status of a monument of national importance in Ukraine.
1358 – construction of the monastery church. During this period, Crimea was under Armenian colonization, and this was reflected in the appearance of several Armenian churches and monasteries in Crimea. At a later time, a vestibule and a bell tower were added to the temple. And only in 1719 a fraternal building with cells for monks appeared within the walls of the monastery. An interesting fact has been noticed that the monastery looks more like a fortress than a humble monastery. The windows are loopholes, the bell tower functions as a watchtower. Apparently, there were times when the monks had to defend their monastery, fighting off enemies like real warriors.
Currently, the refectory houses a museum exhibition dedicated to the history of the monastery. The monastery has been active since 2009.
Toplovsky Monastery of St. Paraskeva
The founding of the monastery was preceded by a mysterious event: an ordinary illiterate girl received a divine message calling on her to give up everything and become a hermit. Later, several more women joined her, who created a semblance of an Orthodox community, built a small church and read a prayer service.
In 1873, in the Crimea, in the vicinity of the village of Topolevka (later the village of Uchebnoye), the Church of St. Paraskeva was built, and a year later a decree was issued on the founding of the monastery. After this, the monastery began to expand, the monastery church of St. Paraskeva and the monastery cathedral of the Holy Trinity were built.
During the formative years of Soviet power, the monastery tried to maintain its status. The nuns created a labor commune of gardeners, while continuing to lead the ordinary life of church ministers. But at the end of the 20s of the last century, all the nuns were forcibly evicted from the monastery, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral was blown up.
In the early 90s, a decision was made to revive the monastery, the church was restored, and a bathhouse and a small chapel were built near the holy spring. Currently, the source is popular among pilgrims and ordinary tourists; healing properties are attributed to it.
Shuldan Cave Monastery
The cave monasteries of Crimea have inexplicable magical powers. The people who created them, in some incomprehensible way, knew how to choose unique places with spiritual beauty. Shuldan Monastery is the best confirmation of this.
The monastery supposedly arose in the 13th-14th centuries north of the modern village of Ternovka. It consisted of twenty caves, most of which are now destroyed, and two temples. The main temple, spacious and high, is located on the first tier. Its rectangular room, carved directly into the rock, ends with a horseshoe-shaped altar. In ancient times, the walls of the temple were painted with frescoes, which have now been lost. Above the eastern entrance, in the second tier of the cave complex, there is another temple. It is less well preserved, but in its arched niche you can see a throne, and on the ledge of the southern wall there is an altar. It’s hard to even imagine how much effort and time it took the monks to carve cells and temples into the rock, even if it was composed of rather “soft” limestone rocks.
The monastery was abandoned for a long time. Now life is slowly being revived in it, and the main temple is open to the public. On the edge of a mountain plateau, a gazebo was built from scrap materials. It offers a stunning view of the Shul Valley, a view not spoiled by the signs of civilization - only mountains covered with forest, and an endless, sonorous expanse of blue sky.
Inkerman St. Clement Cave Monastery
The Inkerman St. Clement Cave Monastery, still active today, is located at the mouth of the Chernaya River in Crimea (Sevastopol). The 8th-9th century is considered to be the origin of the monastery.
According to legend, the Roman Bishop Clement, who accepted Christianity from the Apostle Peter himself, played a big role in the creation of the monastery. He was exiled to the Kherson quarries for disobedience to Emperor Trojan, where he continued preaching to convicts and carved the first church. He was later executed by drowning at sea. For a long time, Christians came to the place of execution and venerated the holy relics of Clement.
On the site of the former convict quarries, a monastery was built, which stood under the protection of the Kalamita fortress. The purpose of the fortress was to protect the seaport of Avlita on the Northern Bay.
The monastery includes churches, both carved inside the rocks and those located on the surface, there are eight of them in total. All churches are connected to each other using passages. One of the churches is considered to have been built by Clement himself.
In the monastery you can wander through the cave churches and cells, look at the ancient altars, thrones, benches, which are completely carved from stone.
St. George's Monastery
A beautiful legend is associated with the emergence of the St. George Monastery in Crimea near Sevastopol. According to legend, a Greek ship was in distress off the coast of Cape Fiolent. Having lost hope of coping with the elements, the sailors began to pray to St. George. The saint heeded their prayers and, appearing on a rock near the shore, calmed the sea.
The sailors, shocked by the miraculous rescue, founded a church in a cave on the shore. Later a monastery was created on this site.
The modern complex of the St. George Monastery was created in the 19th century. The Church of St. George (which has not survived to this day) and the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross were built, and a staircase to the sea, almost 800 steps long, was built. On the site of the ancient cave church, the Church of the Nativity of Christ was built.
In 1820, Alexander Pushkin stayed at the St. George Monastery; today a stele near the walls of the monastery reminds of this event.
During the years of Soviet power, the monastery was closed, the Church of St. George was destroyed, and many other buildings were lost. The revival of the St. George Monastery began only at the end of the 20th century. Today, restoration work is underway at the monastery.
Surb-Khach Monastery
The monastic complex of the Armenian Apostolic Church is the Surb-Khach monastery, which means “Holy Cross”. According to legend, in the middle of the 14th century the monastery was founded by the spiritual leader of the Armenians of Crimea, Hovhannes Sebastatsib. He saw a huge fiery cross on the site of the monastery and regarded this as a sign from above, which prompted him to build the temple.
The monastery survived everything: the rule of Genoa, the domination of the Turks, the power of the Golden Horde and the Russian Empire. All these long years it has been the spiritual center of the Armenians of Crimea, the keeper of faith and traditions. During Soviet times, the monastery fell completely into disrepair: its walls were destroyed, the wonderful fountains with intricate stone carvings no longer provided clean, cool water. And only at the beginning of the two thousandth the monastery again gathered believers under the roof of its central temple.
Today Surb-Khach is a whole complex of buildings surrounded by virgin Old Crimean forest. A service is held in the Church of Surb-Nshan (Holy Sign), and a small museum has been created here telling about the history of the monastery. Ancient fountains again provide coolness to pilgrims, and a small hotel was built especially for guests arriving from afar.
The Surb-Khach Monastery is distinguished by a unique, bright atmosphere that instills peace and tranquility in the soul. It’s always quiet here, here you want to linger and listen to yourself.
Holy Dormition Monastery
The Holy Dormition Monastery, together with the cemetery of soldiers who fell during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, is located in Mary’s Gorge near Bakhchisarai.
- Voskresenskaya(Foros) Church (village Foros, Red Rock) - a picturesque church of the late 19th century, rising on a steep cliff above all of Foros. The Byzantine temple style, mosaic floors, and external paintings were miraculously preserved after three unsuccessful restoration attempts and the difficult Soviet past. Now the church not only fulfills its original functions, but also serves as a lighthouse for ships and is often chosen as a wedding venue.
- Toplovsky Convent(Belogorsk, near Topolevka) - created in the mid-19th century, this monastery today is a place visited by many pilgrims. On the territory of the monastery there is a miraculous spring that has strong healing properties - the spring of St. Paraskeva of Rome.
- St. Vladimir's Cathedral(Sevastopol, Suvorova St., 3) - a holy place for the Russian fleet in Sevastopol. It is here that many Russian admirals and naval officers are buried. In addition, the cathedral is a historical and architectural monument of the mid-19th century.
- St. George's Monastery(Balaklava district, Cape Fiolent) - this monastery was erected at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries on the site of an ancient temple complex built by Tauride Greek sailors in 891. This monastery was visited by all Russian emperors, from Alexander I to Nicholas II, A.S. Pushkin, A.S. Griboyedov, I.K. Aivazovsky, A.N. Ostrovsky, I.A. Bunin, A.P. Chekhov and many others. From time immemorial the monastery has been considered “naval”, because It was originally built by the Tauride Greeks in gratitude for saving sailors from the raging water elements.
- Church of John the Baptist(Kerch, Dimitrov lane, no. 2) - an ancient church, founded approximately in the 8th-11th centuries. The church is a monument of Byzantine architecture and is protected by the state.
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral(Yalta, Sadovaya St., 2) is the main Orthodox cathedral of the city. Erected at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries in the Old Russian style in honor of Emperor Alexander II.
Among other Orthodox churches of the peninsula, a special place is also occupied by: the Hermitage of St. Anastasia in Bakhchisaray, the picturesque temple and part-time lighthouse of St. Nicholas in Malorechenskoye, the Kosmo-Damianovsky Alushta Monastery, the Bakhchisaray Temple of St. Luke, the Inkerman Cave Monastery, the Temple of St. Elijah in Evpatoria, the Sudak Temple Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Church of the Archangel Michael in Alupka and many others.
There are also many mosques on the peninsula. The most significant of them are: the Juma-Jami mosque in Yevpatoria, the Sultan Baybars mosque in Old Crimea, the Simferopol mosques - Eski-Saray and Kebir-Jami.
In addition to Russian Orthodox churches, religious buildings of other faiths and religions are of historical and architectural value, for example, the Roman Catholic Church in Yalta, Armenian churches and temples (Belogorsk, Yalta, Topolevka village), the “Egia Kapay” synagogue in Evpatoria , German Lutheran Church and lapidarium in Sudak and others.
The most significant, majestic and beautiful monasteries of Crimea. On the website you will find the most necessary information about the monasteries of Crimea - descriptions, addresses, telephone numbers.
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This church was built as a monastery. It is one of the oldest religious Armenian buildings on the land of Crimea. The presence of an 11th-century khachkar in it, which means “cross-stone,” confirms the time of its creation. Khachkars are artistic symbols of the Armenian people, installed according to customs in honor of some significant events or to perpetuate the memory of the dead.
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In the 8th–9th centuries. A cave monastery appeared on the rocky shore of the bay, which is now called Inkermanskaya. The Christian bishop Clement was sent here by Emperor Trajan to the quarries. In 101 Clement was treacherously killed and centuries later the monastery was named after him. The monks used caves carved into the rock for housing and household premises. The temples were also located in caves, stone benches were cut out for worship, altars, all rooms and corridors were connected by carved stairs.
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Kiziltash Monastery of St. Stephen of Sourozh is a monastery located near the village of Krasnokamenka, 15 kilometers from Sudak. According to legends, in the Middle Ages Stefan of Sourozh lived and prayed to God in the cave, and in 1825 a monk found an icon of the Mother of God there. The Kiziltash Monastery was built in 1851 in the Kiziltash tract. Near the monastery there was a grotto with a healing spring, which was named after the ascetic. There were three churches in the monastery: in honor of Stephen of Sourozh, the Dormition of the Mother of God, and Seraphim of Sarov. The Kiziltash monastery covered a large area with stone buildings, a large farm, a pond, gardens, and vineyards.
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Toplovsky Holy Trinity Paraskevievsky Convent is of high historical value, located next to the small village of Topolevka. The monastery itself was founded here in August 1864, and it was closed in April 1923; it was opened again in 1993. The source where the monastery is located is given the name of St. Paraskeva of Rome, who was painfully executed here. Alas, by the middle of the 19th century, in 1778, when ordinary peasants were evicted from Crimea in droves, when Crimea became Russian territory, and there were negligible people here, many churches were simply abandoned, and restoration took a lot of time and effort.At one time, the land where the famous monastery was located became a gift from Catherine II to one of her favorites.
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Located near Sudak, on Mount Perchem, the monastery is an architectural monument of the 8th century. It was discovered by A. Fomin’s expedition in 1926-1928, and at the end of the 20th century the old foundations of the temple were explored. The temple building is a two-apse structure with an entrance hall on its western side, and the general style of construction indicates that the Byzantines could rely on the architectural traditions of the Armenians. In the 13th-14th centuries the temple was rebuilt, at which time frescoes probably appeared, the inscriptions on which say that the temple was erected in honor of St. Panteleimon.
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Sudak is a real treasure trove of attractions; it is no stranger to surprising tourists with unusual excursion sites. This includes the cave monastery. It is located on the road to the New World, on the slopes of Mount Sokol, which is considered the highest in these parts. This temple complex was erected by Byzantine monks who fled the iconoclastic movement in the 8th century. They lived here for a long time, until Crimea was conquered by the Turks in the 15th century, bringing with them a different religion. Military oppression and endless battles could not but affect the fate of the monastery “in the name of the Holy Great Martyr George.”
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Founded back in 891, the St. George Monastery is one of the oldest in Crimea. It is located on the upper terrace of rocks that form the local coastline, directly above the sea. The monastery became famous in the 16th century. According to legends, it was in this place that Andrew the First-Called, one of the 12 apostles, set foot on the Crimean soil. Separately, it is worth noting the necropolis at the monastery - many famous people found eternal peace within its walls. Here are the burial places of Prince Golitsyn, V.A. Perovsky, who was a friend of Pushkin, academician A.E. Karneev, Metropolitan Chrysanthus and many other famous Crimean figures. Pushkin and Griboedov visited the monastery at one time, and Admiral Lazarev lived on its territory.
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The Holy Dormition Cave Monastery was founded in the 8th century by migrant monks on the slope of the Maryam-Dere gorge. There are many legends about the formation of the holy monastery. According to one of them, the miraculous icon of Hodegetria appeared on the Assumption Rock, which in an unimaginable way ended up on the rock from the Sumel Monastery (city of Trabzon, Turkey). And no matter how many times people took her, she still ended up in a certain place. It was decided that this was a holy place and a monastery should be founded here.
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Not far from the village of Bashtanovka, in the Kachin Valley, there is the ancient settlement of Kachi Canyon. It is located under a rock. If you look closely, the latter resembles a ship. In the part where the stern of this stone ship appears, you can see the image of a large cross, outlined by deep cracks.
Crimea is an amazing peninsula with a unique climate and nature of extraordinary beauty. Its picturesque corners are unusual and unique.
In addition to the natural resources that Crimea is so generously endowed with, it is also famous for the huge number of churches and monasteries on its territory. The monasteries of Crimea have a rich history of development. They attract you. like a magnet, they attract with their unknown secrets and amaze with their indescribable beauty.
Monasteries of Crimea
Everyone knows the St. George Monastery, located on Cape Fiolent. It was founded in 891. It is very connected with it. According to it, Greek sailors suffered a shipwreck at the cape. Desperate sailors began to ask St. George for help. He heeded their prayers, and the storm was pacified. The sailors who survived the fight against the elements founded the St. George Monastery in gratitude to the saint who saved them.
Crimea is also famous for its picturesqueness. which is located near Simferopol, has three temples on its territory. Two of them are active. The holy springs of the convent attract a large number of people every year, many of whom find healing from their ailments here.
Particularly interesting are the cave monasteries in Crimea. Each of them has its own unique history and attracts tourists with its mystery.
Cave monasteries of Crimea
Shuldan Monastery is located in the cliffs of the rock of the same name, which hangs over the Shul Valley.
Translated, Shuldan means “giving off an echo.” The monastery consists of two churches. In addition, on its territory there are up to twenty accompanying premises located on several tiers. The most significant monuments of the monastery include two cave churches. It is noteworthy that after the capture of the peninsula by the Turks, most likely, the complex hardly functioned. Residents of a nearby village used its premises to keep livestock.
Chelter Marmara Monastery was founded at the end of the 8th - beginning of the 9th century. It is located in the cliffs of Mount Chelter-Kaya near the village of Ternovka. The caves here are located in four tiers. Their total number is more than fifty. There are also four churches. A rocky path leads to the foot of the monastery, passing through thickets of juniper, cotoneaster and dwarf tree.
Assumption Monastery in Crimea
No self-respecting tourist will neglect the opportunity to visit the most sacred place in the city of Bakhchisarai - the Assumption Monastery.
Crimea is rich in extraordinary places, but this monastery stands out from many others. It has a rich history. Over the twelve centuries of its existence, the monastery experienced many periods of both prosperity and decline. In the middle of the 15th century, the holy monastery served as the main support for Christianity on the Crimean peninsula.
The monastery is located in one of the most deserted areas of Crimea - the Mariam-Dere tract. It is surrounded on both sides by high cliffs. The panorama of the Crimean Mountains opening from the temple amazes even the most experienced travelers. Many great people visited the territory of the monastery - Emperors Alexander I and II, the last Emperor of Russia and others.
St. Klimentyevsky Monastery
The monasteries of Crimea attract a large number of tourists every year. Among them there is the St. Klimentyevsky Monastery, which is the most ancient on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula. In its place, the first Christians of Crimea found their refuge. In the same area is the Church of St. Clement, which is carved into the rock.
From the holy monastery you can go to the ruins of the old Byzantine
The monasteries of Crimea are the greatest wealth of the peninsula. An Orthodox person will find here everything he needs to connect with nature and the Creator. Picturesque places will fill the soul of any person, whether he is a believer or not, with bliss and harmony. And the many legends with which the history of each monastery is connected will not leave anyone indifferent. The Orthodox shrines of the Crimean Peninsula are unique historical and cultural monuments necessary for the spiritual life of society.
The pilgrimage program for visiting the ancient cave cities and monasteries of Crimea includes excursions to the ancient settlements of the peninsula, divine services in active cave monasteries of the Crimean land, comfortable accommodation in pilgrimage hotels and private mini-hotels, 3 meals a day and relaxation at sea. The group is formed up to 15 people. On trips to ancient cave monasteries, the group is accompanied by a priest.
Program schedule and cost:
May 1-10 — 20,000 rubles per person
June 1-10 — 20,000 rubles per person
July 1-10 — 22,000 rubles per person
August 1-10 — 22,000 rubles per person
September 1-10 — 22,000 rubles per person
October 1-10 — 20,000 rubles per person
Included in the price: accommodation in pilgrimage hotels and mini-hotels, meals, trips and excursions
The price does not include: tickets to museums and nature reserves, transfer from and to the airport
Pilgrimage program
1 day
Meeting. Transfer. Accommodation at a camp site at the foot of the ancient cave city of Eski-Kermen. Getting to know the area.
Day 2
Divine service in the active cave monastery of St. Savva the Sanctified(Chelter Marmara). Lunch at the camp site. Pilgrimage excursion to the cave city and monastery of Eski-Kermen - a Crimean cave city of the Middle Ages, the total number of caves open to visitors is more than 500. Pilgrims will visit: the Main South Gate, the cave temple "Judgment", the cave temple of the Assumption with fresco paintings, a defensive wall, a water collection complex, siege well, wine making complex, North Gate, Basilica, cave temples.
Day 3
Breakfast. Pilgrimage to the cave monastery “Shuldan” (Translated as “Giving Echoes”. The approximate time of foundation is the end of the 6th century, the cave structures are located in 2 tiers, the monastery has about 18 rooms, including 2 cave temples). Return, late lunch. Rest. A short prayer service at the ruins of the ancient temple “Judgement”
4 day
Breakfast. Release of rooms. Moving by SUV to the mountain plateau of the capital of Theodorites, the cave city of Mangup-Kale. Excursion to the objects of the cave city. Women's and men's springs, defensive walls, tower of the 2nd line of defense (15th century), Basilica (Christian temple of the early Middle Ages), princely palace (1425), tarapans, two-story monastery cave complex, Citadel, Cape Tyshkan-Burun. Visit to the active Annunciation Cave Monastery on the Mangup slope, prayer service. Dinner. Transfer to a hotel on the sea coast. Accommodation. Rest.
5 day
Day 6
Pilgrimage to the monasteries of the Sevastopol land
Morning service at the Inkerman men's cave monastery Holy Martyr Clement of Rome and the ancient cave temple of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the medieval cave monastery of St. George the Victorious on Cape Fiolent, Tauride Chersonesos and the baptism site of St. Prince Vladimir
Day 7
Rest day, beach holiday, free time.
Day 8
Pilgrimage to the monasteries of Bakhchisarai
Divine service at the Bakhchisarai Holy Dormition Monastery in the valley of “Mariam-dere” at the icon of the Mother of God “Mariampolskaya”, monastery of St. Anastasia the Pattern Maker,
Day 9
Pilgrimage to the nunneries of Crimea
Liturgy at the Simferopol Holy Trinity Convent at the relics of St. Luke of Crimea, Toplovsky St. Paraskevsky Convent, holy springs of the monastery
10 day
Rest, vacating rooms, departure
