Uspensky Cave Monastery (Bakhchisarai)

There were a lot of cave monasteries in the Crimea. Most of them were destroyed at the time of the invasion of the Golden Horde. But some temples cut down in the rock remained unharmed. Among them is the Uspensky Cave Monastery, located not far from Bakhchisaray in the gorge of Maryam-Dare. This place, despite being a Christian shrine, is also revered by Muslims. Maryam-Dare in translation into Russian means the Virgin Mary.

Versions about the origin

The first half of the XVI century. - this is the time when the city of Bakhchisaray began to be built. The Holy Assumption Cave Monastery was founded much earlier. Unfortunately, no one knows for sure who exactly built such unusual temples in the Crimea. At the end of the twentieth century, it was suggested that Byzantine monks, icon-worshipers, who fled from the wrath of the emperors Leo III and Constantine V during the struggle against idolatry, cut through them. However, some historians do not support this version. The fact is that the architectural features of the cave temples do not allow considering them to be Byzantine monks. The tradition of the latter included living with a team with shared bedrooms. In the Crimean temples there is a huge number of individual cells.

At the time of the alleged construction of these rocky premises in the Crimea, pagan cults were still strong. In addition, Judaism, adopted as the state religion in the Khazar Khaganate , was widespread . So anyone could build these temples.

Legends of the Temple

The construction is in fact very unusual - the Assumption Cave Monastery (Bakhchisaray). Impressions of tourists, judging by the reviews, from it simply unforgettable. There are several legends about the construction of the Assumption Cave Monastery. One of the legends tells that once upon a time in these parts a terrible snake appeared, eating people and cattle. Tired of its excesses, the peasants began to pray zealously to the Theotokos for deliverance. Once people saw a burning candle on the rock and went up to it. On the rock, they discovered the image of God's mother and the nearby dead snake.

Another legend tells that once in this place was found the icon of the Virgin Mary. The peasant who found it moved it down to the settlement. However, the next morning the image was again in the same place. This was considered a miraculous sign and the cave church was cut down in this place.

According to the third legend, in the gorge of St. Maria of the Byzantine monks once brought the icon of the Mother of God. In the same way, the place where the religious complex was built was also indicated.

Monastery in the VIII-XVIII centuries.

If we take as a basis the assumption about the Byzantine monks, then the Assumption Cave Monastery was founded approximately in the 8th century AD. Following the clergymen, Greek laymen also came to the Crimea, also fleeing from the pursuers of iconoclasts. It is assumed that the cave temples for a long time served as their main place of religious rites.

At the time of the invasion of the Golden Horde, most of the temples were destroyed. The Assumption Cave Monastery has been preserved since the end of the 15th century. Became the residence of the Crimean Metropolitan. One of its main shrines was the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, revered not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Muslims. Russian tsars provided every support to the monastery.

Uspensky cave temple in the XVIII-XIX centuries

Until the XVIII century, thus, the rock monastery flourished. Everything changed after the Russian troops occupied the Crimea. At the behest of Empress Catherine II, the metropolitan, together with all Christians, moved to Russia, to the Sea of Azov, establishing the city of Mariupol. The cave temple was abandoned.

However, already in 1850, according to the decision of the Synod, the monastery was reopened. But, unfortunately, all the books and relics that were once stored in it were irretrievably lost. It is still unknown whether the monks took them away with them or hid them. Perhaps most of the shrines were simply destroyed. After all, even the frescoes on the walls of the monastery were scraped.

During the famous defense of Sevastopol in the walls of the cave complex was an officer's hospital. The dead wounded were buried below - opposite the monastery. The famous doctor Pirogov treated the officers.

Shrines kept in the monastery

In 1908 a special document was drawn up - "A Brief Historical Description", in which, among other things, the relics of the monastery were indicated. What relics before the revolution was the Assumption Cave Monastery (Crimea)? The list in this document is as follows:

• The icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God of 1 arshin height and 3.5 inches, 11.5 inches wide in a silver bowl. This image was considered miraculous. Many Christians received from the icon of healing.

• A copy of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Kiev-Pecherskaya. This image was donated to the monastery by Metropolitan Filaret. Before this image, August 15 was the all-night vigil.

• The image of the Savior with 84 pieces of relics of various saints. This image was sent from the Korsun Bogorodichny Monastery.

• A copy of the icon of the Mother of God "Panagia". It is this image, according to legend, that was once revealed on a rock. Judging by the description, this icon was placed in a silver garment and decorated with pearls and precious stones.

• A cross with the image of Christ, made of three types of wood: birch, cypress and cedar. On its reverse side was the inscription "Gepostet from the Old Athos to the Russian on the opening day in 1850".

• Written directly on the rock, in place of the phenomenon of "Panagia" is the image of the Virgin. Before this icon the unending lamp burnt.

In the very rock in those days, 16 cells were cut down. Two more were located below. On the plateau, at the same time, a staircase cut in a rock in 84 steps led. In addition to the cells, at the bottom were built a two-story building for monks, the abbot's house and a kitchen with a bakery.

During the Soviet era

The struggle against Orthodoxy, which began in 1917, did not bypass the Uspensky Cave Monastery. The temple was completely looted. Monks were shot. Finally, the hermitage was closed in 1921. During the Second World War, in these caves, as well as a long time ago, there was a hospital for the wounded. The dead Soviet soldiers, as well as the officers of the tsarist army during the defense of Sevastopol, were buried below - next to the monastery itself. After the war, a psychiatric boarding school operated here.

Recovery

In 1993, the cave monastery was returned to the faithful. Currently, there is a male monastery here. The clergymen restored the temple and built an outhouse chapel. Recovery required a lot of investment. The priests even refused to take money for services. Since then, there is no more quotation in the local church. Baptisms, funerals, sorokousty, consecration of houses, etc. priests of the modern men's monastery spend free.

The Holy Assumption Cave Monastery (Bakhchisaray, Crimea): description of the complex

The most ancient buildings of the monastery are the cave temple of the Assumption and the house of the abbot. Not so long ago, the rock church of St. Mark. In addition, the reconstruction of the destroyed churches of St. Elena and Constantine. In the churches themselves, almost nothing interesting, for example, for curious tourists is not preserved. All the relics, unfortunately, were destroyed in times of Soviet power. Few surviving icons were transported to the museum in Mariupol. However, the monks made copies of once adorned cave temples images. The main shrine of the monastery was once reconstructed - the image of the Mother of God of the Assumption.

The Holy Assumption Cave Monastery in the Crimea was cut directly in the wall of a tall, slightly prominent massif. It is a very impressive sight. From the windows of the rock churches there is a picturesque view of the Crimean mountains. On the other side of the gorge, there is a canopy with cells cut in it and auxiliary rooms.

A rather interesting sight for tourists may be a half-ruined two-story building, in which pilgrims arrived to the monastery before the revolution. Next to it are the remains of the ancient settlement of Salanchik and the original buildings of the Crimean Tatars of the 16th century.

Among other things, there is an ancient officer cemetery and common graves of Soviet soldiers on the territory of the complex.

How to get there

Many tourists who come to the Crimea, certainly would like to visit the Assumption Cave Monastery. Bakhchisaray is a city from which you can easily get to it. To do this, you need to take a minibus or a taxi, coming from the railway or bus station. From the stop, you should climb about a kilometer from the gorge. Hanging over the abyss the temple is very well visible from afar. Some tourists get to the monastery from Bakhchisaray and just walk. In this case, it is necessary to go from the beginning of the R. Luxemburg street past the old Tahtali-Jami mosque.

Nearby Attractions

In addition to the Dormition cave monastery itself, tourists of Crimea often visit the cave town of Chufut-Kale located a little higher. The latter was formed presumably in the Middle Ages and served as a security object on the border of the Byzantine Empire. Unfortunately, at present most of this city is in ruins. Between the Assumption Monastery and Chufut-Kale is located the Turkish cemetery of Gaza-Mansur. It is located in a shady forest. The graves in this cemetery date back to the 15th-19th centuries. Most of the tombstones are carved from local limestone. Buried in this cemetery is mainly the soldiers who defended the city during the raids. Both the Holy Assumption Cave Monastery and Chufut-Kale belong to the World Heritage sites and are listed in UNESCO.