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Svyatogorsk, whose history goes back to ancient times. The name of the city is directly related to the cave monastery located in its vicinity, on the slopes of the Northern Donets River, known as the Svyatogorsk Holy Dormition Lavra.

Historical sketch

There is an ancient city on the territory of the Donetsk region Svyatogorsk, whose history goes back to ancient times. The name of the city is directly related to the cave monastery located in its vicinity, on the slopes of the Northern Donets River, known as Svyatogorsk Holy Dormition Lavra. Although the city was first mentioned in written sources in 1526, it is obvious that both the settlement itself and the Orthodox monastery appeared in this God-given place much earlier. Historians agree that the cave monastery was founded back in the days Kievan Rus, but who was the founder of the ancient outpost of Orthodoxy? Some researchers believe that the Svyatogorsk Lavra was founded by people from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, while other researchers put forward the version that the monastery on the Holy Mountain was founded by monks from Greece - people from the most famous Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos. According to official version, put forward by domestic historians, the founder of the ancient monastery is the Monk Joasaph, but this statement does not stand up to criticism. One way or another, the cave temple and the monastic cells located around it attracted monks from other monasteries and numerous pilgrims for many centuries.

In 1624, the Svyatogorsk monastery even received an official letter from the sovereign, the purpose of which was further development a monastery located on the southern borders of Russian lands, which needed protection from steppe nomads and raids of the Crimean Tatars. Near the monastery, in a kind of natural refuge - a place surrounded on three sides by high rocks, a small fortress was founded, which has not survived to this day. In this fortress, according to the royal decree, a small detachment of soldiers was constantly stationed, and the barracks for the garrison were built in caves carved into the chalk rock. There were also four cannons in the fortress, with the help of which it was possible to protect the monastery from the attacks of the Tatars, who more than once robbed not only local residents, but also the monastery itself. Perhaps the defense of the monastery was also carried out by the brothers-monks themselves, since history has preserved the name of Jacob, the monk-gunner, who became known thanks to records in the monastery synodik, dating back to 1710. Every year the monastery developed, new churches were built on its territory, and the number of monastic brethren increased. The Russian sovereigns allocated considerable funds for the development of the Svyatogorsk monastery, allocated a lot of money and valuables for the purchase of church utensils and the maintenance of monks, and granted the monastery valuables, grain allowances, surrounding villages, and vast lands. Over time, the monastery grew, cells and churches were built not only in caves and on a high rock, but also on the “hem”.

Hard times of the Svyatogorsk Lavra

And then the life of the monastery was interrupted for half a century, and the reason for this was not the devastating raids of the Crimean Tatars, not a natural disaster, not plague and pestilence, but the decree of the Russian Empress. In 1787, by order of Catherine II, the monastic monastery was disbanded and the monks were dispersed. All the rich property of the monastery was confiscated to the Russian treasury, and the entire territory on which the monastery was located, and vast lands, as well as the surrounding villages, were turned into the Svyatogorsk estate and presented to the empress’s favorites, Grigory Potemkin. For decades, only one monastery church operated, turned into a Parish church, in which local residents prayed, got married, baptized children, and buried the dead. And only after the Svyatogorsk estate passed into the hands of new owners - Tatyana Borisovna and Alexander Mikhailovich Potemnikov, who, feeling the holiness of this land, decided to restore the ancient monastery, the history of the monastery took a sharp turn.

Beginning in 1844, restoration of old buildings and construction of new churches of the Svyatogorsk monastery began. The first settlers of the restored monastery were monks from the Glinsk monastery, and Hieromonk Arseny was awarded the greatest honor of becoming the abbot of the monastery. In a short time, the activity of the monastery was restored; within a few years, new refectories and hotels for pilgrims, a rector’s house or other buildings appeared here. And the top of the rock was decorated with the new Baroque Church of the Transfiguration; other churches were founded, including the Assumption Cathedral, the name of which appeared in the name of the monastic monastery itself. Not only temples were built, but also workshops, forges, their own candle factory and apiary, with the help of which the monks not only independently satisfied their needs, but also sold many goods. In subsequent decades, the monks built a hospital on the farmstead for local residents, and pilgrims from all over the Russian Empire flocked to the monastery.

But the revolution broke out, and the ancient monastery shared the fate of many churches in the Soviet Union. In 1918, the Svyatogorsk monastery was plundered, expensive church utensils and priceless icons were confiscated, holy relics were desecrated, and many monks were mercilessly killed. The surviving brothers were barbarously expelled from the monastery, and in 1922, a Rest House was opened on the territory of the monastery, where Donbass workers could improve their health. During the years of Soviet power, the Svyatogorsk Monastery was literally wiped off the face of the earth, ancient churches were destroyed, above-ground churches were barbarically blown up, the communists did not spare even the monastery cemetery, blowing it up too, thus trying to destroy even the ashes of the servants of Orthodoxy. And so that nothing else here would remind of the ancient monastery, even the name of the area “Holy Mountains” was renamed to “Red Mountains”.

Revival and new life

70 years have passed Soviet Union collapsed, and the Svyatogorsk monastery, like a Phoenix bird, rose from the ruins. In 1992, in the ancient place, where strong energy can be felt literally at every step, monks appeared again, and by 1995 the number of new settlers increased significantly. The restoration of the monastery is still ongoing; to date, it has already been possible to restore the refectory, in which the monastery dining room was located for many years, and all those that survived over the years have been restored Soviet power outbuildings, cave temples have been restored. In place of destroyed and blown up churches and cathedrals, their exact copies are being built. It was even possible to return some of the church utensils and ancient books that were exhibited in the country's museums during the years of Soviet power. On March 9, 2004, a significant event occurred in the history of the monastery - it received the status of a monastery, and since that time the monastery has been called the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra.

Over the past decades, the Lavra has become widely known not only in Ukraine, but also abroad; not only numerous pilgrims come here, but also tourist excursion groups. Looking around all the monastery buildings, the majestic Assumption Cathedral catches your eye, which with full confidence can be called the heart of the Lavra. The architecture of the temple is quite eclectic - both Byzantine and traditional Russian elements can be seen, and the dome of the cathedral resembles a decorated Orthodox cross onion Not far from the cathedral is the Lower Pavilion, where pilgrims gather who want to visit the monastery caves and pray in the underground temples - the most ancient part of the monastery. A narrow passage takes pilgrims deep into the rock, where there is a small underground church of Anthony and Theodosius. And behind the majestic cathedral building there are monastery workshops and a forge, and local blacksmiths fully provide for the needs of the monastery.

Tourists coming to Svyatogorsk can see National Nature Park "Holy Mountains" comprehensively. In addition to the monastery, there are monuments of archaeology, history and culture. Walking through the park, you can see more than a hundred rare plants, which have long been listed in the Red Book, and hear birds singing. Currently, an ethnographic museum, boat piers and hotels for tourists are being built on the territory of the reserve. Soon fairs with products of folk craftsmen and craftsmen from all over Ukraine will be held here.

IN Donetsk region(Ukraine) there is Svyatogorsk... A very beautiful place - a paradise for the soul. It is even called the “Pearl of Donbass”.

The city stands on the Seversky Donets River. On one shore there are mountains. They are called "Saints". On one of them is the Holy Dormition Lavra and a monastery.

This place amazes with its beauty, the churches with their whiteness and domes... Very beautiful and well-kept... There is a hotel complex at the monastery, where anyone can stay for several days according to the schedule of the monks in their cells... Chekhov and Bunin once rested there... Also here is the tomb of famous princes. A wooden hermitage is currently being built.

Everything is very beautiful, majestic. Getting here, the soul calms down, rushes out and flies into the sky... You feel some kind of calm, peace...

The entire complex is surrounded by greenery. In summer everything is green, and in autumn it is so beautiful!!! Such a riot of colors, such shades - it seems that no two are alike...

Next to this mountain there is another one, and on it is a monument to Artem:

There is a ring road to it, but it is more interesting to climb along the chalk paths.

And also located on these mountains national park"Holy Mountains" It is protected by the state. There are a lot of rare plants and animals here. There is also an oak grove with very old oak trees. The oldest is over 600 years old!!!

On the other bank of the river there is a pine forest. There are a lot of pine trees, they are all so smooth and tall. The air is very clean and even seems transparent. You can breathe very easily and it seems that you even feel how clean air fills your lungs... Whenever you come to this forest, it is always green. In summer it is cool here, and in winter everything is snow-white!!! There are a lot of mushrooms in autumn. There is silence in the forest and only the singing of birds can be heard; a squirrel will scurry somewhere (by the way, there are a lot of them and they love to look at people and watch us)!

The water in the river is very clean, cool... A little further from the monastery, a lot of rare plants grow in the water, which in the Donetsk region can only be seen here; and there are also a lot of water lilies, which are indicators of water purity. When you walk along the shore, you can even see a fish swimming... And there are also a lot of lakes...

St. Andrew's Chapel.
It was kept the way it was created, only whitewashed.

St. Nicholas Church.
One of the most amazing
buildings.

The walls of St. Nicholas Church gradually turn into a chalk mountain, in which rooms... caves were created. The cave complex is the oldest part of the monastery. Its length is more than 800 meters.

Nicholas Church is a symbol of Svyatogorye. Built in the 17th century. She is distinguished not only by her external grace. The technical solution also has a rare beauty: part of the walls is chalk rock. The most popular legend of the Svyatogorsk Monastery about the secret construction of the temple is associated with the St. Nicholas Church.

Being outside the boundaries of Russian settlements, the Svyatogorsk Monastery was at first subject to terrible Tatar raids - more than once the monks and abbots were captured and languished in severe captivity. During the attacks, the salvation for the besieged were the caves that penetrated the cliff throughout its entire volume. The time when the caves appeared is unknown. Approximately, the oldest of them date back to the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century.

The Assumption Cathedral is the main temple of the Lavra. The temple consists of three parts, the altar; middle part and vestibule.

The first Assumption Cathedral was built at the beginning of the 18th century. But after the restoration of the monastery, it no longer met the requirements, since it was not large enough. It was demolished, and in June 1858 the construction of a new cathedral church began according to the design of the St. Petersburg architect Alexei Gornostaev. Construction of the cathedral lasted ten years. Main altar in the name of the Assumption Holy Mother of God was consecrated on September 4, 1868. In addition to it, two chapels (additional altars with thrones) were built - the right one in the name of the Great Martyr Barbara and the Martyr Tatiana and the left altar in the name of Saints Dmitry, Mitrofan and Tikhon. Side chapels are arranged so that on one day, for example on major holidays or Sundays, several liturgies can be celebrated in one church.

And of course, the Skete is perhaps the most unusual of the Svyatogorye buildings. This is the Skete of All Saints, or more correctly, the Skete of All Saints of the Russian Land. Now monks already live here. Unfortunately, you can enter its territory only four times a year - people retire to the monastery, primarily in order to reduce contact with the outside world to a minimum.

The monastery of All Saints is being built on the site of the monastery of St. Arseny, destroyed during the Great Patriotic War. The monastery had another monastery - near the Borki station on the territory of the modern Kharkov region, founded on the site of a train accident on October 17, 1888, during which the royal family returning from Crimea miraculously survived.

And what nature is here! The soul just rests and rushes to heaven!

This is the river on which the city stands - Seversky Donets.

Lake Bottomless.
And of course the chalk mountains for which Svyatogorsk is famous!

The first historical information dates back to 1526. The German diplomat Sigismund Herberstein in his book “Notes on Moscow Affairs” mentions the guards of the Holy Mountains, which, by order of the Russian tsars, were kept far away in the Wild Field, on the roads and crossings across the Donets. It is not known for certain when and where the monks came to these lands. According to one version, the monastery was organized by the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which was destroyed by the hordes of Batu in 1240. “Those who escaped from the Tatar sword,” says one of the chronicles, “withdrew through the surrounding forests and wilds and founded their homes in the most picturesque Donets mountains.” According to other legends, Svyatogorsk monastery was founded by the monks of Holy Mount Athos. This is confirmed by the method of burial of the monks according to Athonite custom. There is also an opinion that Svyatogorsk arose as a defensive point in the south of the country and served our ancestors as protection from attacks by hostile nomadic tribes.

The first official evidence of the existence of the monastery dates back to 1624. This is the Sovereign's charter for the monastery to receive annual support in money and bread. At that time, the cave church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker served as the main temple. The rapid development of the monastery complex on the banks of the Donets began at the beginning of the 18th century thanks to the care of the famous Ukrainian military leader, Colonel of the Izyum Sloboda Regiment Fyodor Shidlovsky. However, in 1787, by decree of Catherine II, the monastery was closed. Its restoration took place 57 years later with the active participation of the Potemkin princes. During this period, new rectory, fraternal, prosphora, economic buildings, hotels, and refectories were built. Temples and cave churches were also renovated. In addition, a new church with a bell tower was built and the Transfiguration Church on the top of the mountain, the Assumption Cathedral and the skete temple of Arseny the Great were founded. In 1922, the Svyatogorsk monastery was closed again, and a rest home for Donbass workers was organized on its territory. The post-war period is marked as the period of greatest destruction. But exactly 100 years later the monastery was restored. Most of the unique architectural monuments have now been restored. And on March 9, 2004, at a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church The Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Monastery was granted the status of a lavra. From now on it is called Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra.

A majestic panorama opens from the bridge over the Seversky Donets chalk mountains with two monuments from different eras standing on their tops. On one there is a unique St. Nicholas Church, created together with the chalk rock and the surrounding natural landscape. It was about this place that Saint Philaret said: “Here is so close to heaven, and so far from earth! If you don’t learn to pray here, then where?!.” On the other mountain is a monument to the revolutionary Artem, made in 1927 in the cubist style by the architect Georgy Kavaleridze. Oddly enough, they do not interfere with each other. But quite the opposite - they complement, emphasizing the difference between the spiritual worlds. Both are reached by winding roads. But thrill-seekers can go straight up one of the many paths leading up the steep slopes. Right behind the bridge there is an icon shop where, in addition to spiritual literature and everything necessary for church rituals, you can buy a variety of souvenirs. The main entrance to the monastery territory is guarded by Cossacks, vigilantly monitoring compliance appearance guests on the moral foundations of monastic life. The path leads past the hotel buildings to the Church of the Intercession. Built in 1850 according to the design of the architect Konstantin Ton, it, like several centuries ago, remains the unique face of the monastery. On the bell tower there are chimes made in the monastery by the self-taught master, Father Antonin, whom the writer Vasily Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko called Svyatogorsk Edison. They say that the ringing can be heard ten kilometers away. By the way, now there are 54 bells collected in five monastery bell towers, and the largest of them weighs more than 6 tons.

Assumption Cathedral- the main temple of the monastery. Erected in 1859-1868 according to the design of St. Petersburg academician A.M. Gornostaev, it amazes with its magnificence. Byzantine in its top form, the cathedral is topped with a Russian onion dome. Next to the Assumption Cathedral is the Cave, or, as it is also called, the Lower Pilgrim Pavilion. As before, it receives pilgrims visiting the chalk rock caves. Behind the Assumption Cathedral there is a utility yard with various workshops. Today, the products of Svyatogorsk blacksmiths adorn the territory of the reviving monastery. The temple, clinging closely to the rock, is the entrance to the underground church of the Holy Monks Anthony and Theodosius. A narrow, steep passage goes into the heart of the mountain. The length of this oldest part of the monastery is more than 800 meters. A winding passage leads to the very top, where from the platform of the Upper Pavilion of Pilgrims a picturesque view of the left bank of the Seversky Donets opens. And one and a half kilometers from here it is reborn again Skete of All Saints of the Russian Land. A wooden temple surrounded by a palisade is perhaps the most unusual of the Svyatogorye buildings.

The excursion and tourist area of ​​Svyatogorsk is unusually rich in historical, cultural, archaeological and natural attractions. In the surrounding area, 129 archaeological and 73 historical monuments have been identified. In the territory National Nature Park "Holy Mountains" 123 species of rare plants grow, 48 species of which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, 12 species are in the European Red List. Currently, the implementation of the city development plan and program has begun. The monastery is expanding due to the refurbishment of buildings and structures of the sanatorium. Artem. In addition, it is planned to reconstruct all lost historical objects, including the building of the Church of the Transfiguration, the Cyril and Methodius Stairs, the entrance to the cave church of Anthony and Theodosius, etc. The dormitory buildings of the “Holy Mountains” sanatorium are being converted into hotels for pilgrims. It is also planned to recreate the Potemkin Palace. An excursion and tourist center and a pier for boats, as well as a site for fairs, will be built on the right bank near the bridge. In addition, an ethnographic museum is being organized under open air. For the construction of water attractions, Lake Bannoe is cleared, and a cascade of artificial water park reservoirs is created along the oxbow lake of the Seversky Donets River. Artificial decorative lakes will also be created on the territory of the park area, where swans will live, wild ducks and other birds. The project provides for the construction of four large hotel complexes with a total capacity of 800 beds and five small detached low-rise hotels with 40-50 beds, year-round operation with a limited range of services and moderate cost of living.

Come to Svyatogorsk - and you will definitely want to visit here again and again. And one of the best and undoubtedly original guidebooks is the book by the writer Vasily Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko, brother of the famous theater figure Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko, “Holy Mountains”. It has not lost its relevance even today.