Holy places of the Black Earth region, temples, monasteries and churches

Since ancient times, Orthodoxy has been the basis of the spiritual culture of the Voronezh region and the entire Black Earth Region. Tradition says that St. Andrew the First-Called, the patron saint of Russia, visited these regions when he visited the “Scythian lands.” In the village of Kostomarovo (Voronezh region) there is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia - the Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery. Archaeologists say that the history of Christianity in these lands lasts more than 8 centuries. Already at the turn of the XII and XIII centuries. There were villages here that professed this religion. In the 15th century, a new impetus to the development of Orthodoxy was given by Greek monks who came here in search of a secluded place where they could freely practice their religion. Greek monks began to found cave monasteries here.

Construction of the Voronezh border fortress began in 1586. This structure was used by Cossacks and servicemen to reliably repel both the Polish-Lithuanian invaders and the Tatar raiders. People began to flock to this relatively calm region. Among the infrastructure facilities, they built temples and monasteries here. The region flourished, the population increased, and everything was moving towards the southern part of the Ryazan diocese (which included Voronezh) eventually becoming a separate metropolis.

This happened on April 2, 1682. The first bishop was Mitrofan, appointed by Patriarch Jokim. It was Mitrofan, the former mentor of the Unzhensky Makaryevsky Monastery, who was destined to become the first saint of Voronezh. Ten years later, through the efforts of St. Mitrofan, the Voronezh diocese reached Azov. Mitrofan played one of the key roles in the formation of the Russian fleet. The Azov campaign of 1695-1696 showed that to wage war against the Ottomans, Russia needed a powerful fleet. There are documents that indicate that Mitrofan repeatedly donated funds for the creation of ships. Despite his position, the archpastor remained in history as a man of exceptional modesty. In addition, his courage is noted. As a mentor to Peter I, he was not afraid to express his beliefs, even if they contradicted the position of the tsar. With his life the saint set a high example of sincere service to God and the Fatherland. In 1703, Mitrofan died. This event coincided with the visit of Peter I to Voronezh. The Tsar participated in the funeral ceremony, personally carrying the bishop's coffin. For the edification of his flock, Mitrofan left a “Spiritual Testament”. It is with this book that he is depicted on one of the icons. Today Saint Mitrofan is the patron saint of the Voronezh region.

At the beginning of the 18th century, by order of Catherine II, Tikhon (Sokolov), known today as the Wonderworker of Zadonsk, became the new Bishop of Voronezh. The people loved Tikhon very much, who grew up in a simple peasant family and led an ascetic lifestyle. He repeatedly addressed his flock with sermons denouncing pagan superstitions.

The Orthodox Theological Seminary was opened here in 1745 through the efforts of Bishop Theophylact (Gubanov). The activities of the seminary are closely connected with the name of Metropolitan Evgeniy of Kyiv and Galicia, the first local historian of Voronezh, archaeographer and church historian. The seminary was graduated at different times by the future locum tenens of Patriarch Tikhon Pyotr (Polyansky), State Duma deputy Petrovsky, Archbishop Dmitry (Doctor of Church History), poets Serebryansky, Nikitin, doctors Rudinsky and Pashutin.

During Archbishopric Anthony, the Theological Seminary experienced its golden age. It was Anthony who prepared the glorification of St. Mitrofan, and he also began the glorification of Tikhon of Zadonsk. 80 years later, the Synodal Commission studied the remains of Anthony himself: the vestments and body of the bishop were found incorrupt. In 1830, a cholera epidemic began in the Voronezh province. Anthony imposed a three-day fast on the flock, as well as the clergy, and he also performed religious processions and prayer services. The epidemic has receded. Nicholas I, who revered Anthony, who healed people with prayers and blessings, made a pilgrimage to the canonized Mitrofan in 1831. After 5 years, the Annunciation Monastery was opened at the Annunciation Cathedral, which became a haven for the relics of St. Mitrofan. This cathedral was destined to become one of the centers of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians from all over Russia.

After the October Revolution, oppression of the Russian Orthodox Church began. Concentration camps were built on the basis of the Mitrofanovsky Monastery and the Tikhvin-Onufrievsky Church. By 1920, 160 clergy were killed. Hieromartyr Peter (Zverev) became bishop in 1925. Even after he became a victim of repression and ended up in a camp, Peter inspired reverence not only in his former flock, but also in the concentration camp guards. When they met the former bishop, they respectfully greeted him, and he made the sign of the cross over them.

After decades, the pressure on the church from the authorities began to weaken. In 1988, which marked the thousand-year anniversary of the baptism of Rus', Voronezh monasteries and churches began to return to the local diocese. In 2003, Metropolitan Sergius (Fomin) became the new bishop. In the same year, Anthony (Smirnitsky) was canonized. Celebrations were also held to mark the tercentenary of the repose of Mitrofan.

One of the latest bright events in the world of the Orthodox Black Earth Region is the restoration of the Annunciation Cathedral of Voronezh. Believers call it “the heart of the Black Earth Region.” The grand opening of the temple to visitors took place on December 6, 2009.

MONASTERIES, TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THE VORONEZH REGION.

Among the cultural monuments of the Voronezh region, spiritual centers occupy a special place. On the territory of the village. Kostomarovo, Podgorensky district, is the oldest temple in Rus', dating back to cave temples since pagan times. A holy place where icons stream myrrh and real miracles happen, miracles could not go unnoticed. Spassky Convent

has always been a place of pilgrimage to the Holy Spassky Convent, the Spassky Cave Church and to the Church of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “recovery of the lost.” The political repressions of 1917 could not stop the true believers, who secretly came to the closed monastery. As a result, worship services were allowed already in 1946, and the official opening took place in 1997. The revived monastery preserves the revered icons of the “Holy Family”, the Most Holy Theotokos “Kostomarovskaya”, and the Most Holy Theotokos “Seeking the Lost”.

In the same area in the village. Resurrection Belogorsky Monastery is located in Belogorye

, dating back to 1882. The years of Soviet rule destroyed memories of the monastery, so its revival began only in 2003. The shrines of the monastery are rightfully considered to be the reliquary with the holy relics of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, in whose honor divine services have been regularly held since 2006, the holy relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, St. Demetrius of Rostov, St. Ambrose of Optina, St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk and the icon of the Mother of God “Mary, find grace from God.”

Annunciation Cathedral of Voronezh

became the first stone Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the region with the blessing of St. Mitrofan. The foundation of the temple was consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II in 1998; today the cathedral is the see of the governor of the Voronezh-Borisoglebsk diocese, where believers can venerate the holy relics of the 12 apostles, as well as the holy relics of the Kiev-Pechersk saints, the icon of St. Silouan of Athos, the holy relics of the martyr Natalia and other shrines.

On the right bank of the Voronezh reservoir there is another ancient temple in the region. The only witness to the appearance of the first military flotilla in Russia is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

. Initially, the building was monastery and made of wood. But by 1694, the construction of the stone temple was completed, which became the main cathedral of Voronezh for many years. At the same time, active construction was also underway around the church: a naval shipyard was founded opposite the monastery, the palace of Peter the Great, the houses of F.A. Golovin, A.D. Menshikov, and F.M. Apraksin were being built nearby. and other associates of the king. It was in the Assumption Church that the service took place before the launching of the first ships on April 2, 1696. And after the consecration of St. Andrew's flag in 1699, the stories of the navy and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary merged together for the next 200 years.

Soviet times left a strong imprint on the spiritual center: in the post-war period and until 1967, the building served as a city archive, and after that as a naval museum. Since 1972, the waters of the Voronezh reservoir began to flood the foundation of the church. In 1994, restoration work began. The uniqueness of the restored Assumption Admiralty Church is that it is the first one after the Revolution to be restored using funds not only from the state, but also from large donations from residents of all of Russia. The consecration and transfer of the Voronezh diocese took place in 1996 on the occasion of the tercentenary of the Russian navy.

In 1620, in Akatova Polyana, in gratitude for the victory over the Lithuanian army, the Alexievo-Akatov Monastery was founded.

Already in 1674, the first stone church in Voronezh appeared in the monastery. It was this temple that happened to become the spiritual center of the city in the twentieth century, which brought great trials not only to those who keep God in their souls, but also to the monastery itself: in 1931 it was officially closed, the fierce battles of 1942 - 1943 destroyed the gate bell tower to the second tier, the post-war years turned the temple was converted into an ordinary residential building, and by 1980 the buildings fell into a deplorable state, mostly resembling ruins. Local residents did not allow the monastery to disappear completely and in the 1980s they restored the ancient bell tower. Since 1990, the monastery was consecrated and transferred to the diocese, from that time it began a new life: the entire appearance was completely transformed, the two-story church was restored and restored, the gate bell tower was also restored and completed with a five-domed structure, a chapel appeared to illuminate the water, a sister's building, utility buildings and workshops, as well as a hotel for the clergy. The ancient cemetery was also restored. In the monastery there is an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Life-Giving Spring”, an icon of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Consolation in Sorrows and Sorrows”, part of the stone on which the Monk Seraphim of Sarov prayed, an ark with particles of the relics of Saints Mitrophan of Voronezh and Tikhon of Zadonsk, Saints Cyril and Mary of Radonezh, icon of St. Pitirim of Tambov.

The architectural ensemble of Voronezh also adorns the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Tolshevsky Convent

, located in the Grafsky Nature Reserve. The founder of the monastery was a hermit monk in 1646. The monastery became a public monastery only in 1799. There is a holy spring on its territory. It was closed from 1929 to 1994. Currently, the monastery houses particles of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Xenia of St. Petersburg, Matrona of Moscow, Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, Usman Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Holy Dormition Monastery

In the village Divnogorye Liskinsky district preserved Holy Dormition Monastery

, founded by Orthodox Greeks. He is a piece of the story of the acceptance of Greeks who were persecuted by Catholics in Sicily by united Russia. The founders of the monastery were Joasaph and Xenophon; according to legend, it was they who brought the miraculous image of the Sicilian Mother of God to their new monastery. In 1640, the temple became a home for Little Russian monks, persecuted by Polish Catholics. The fight against the schism on the Don in 1682 turned the monastery into an ideological center. In 1924, the monastery was closed to house a sanatorium and a rest home, which operated until 1989 and gave way to a museum-reserve. Since 1997, the monastery has regained its former status.

The Seraphim-Sarov Monastery is located in the Gribanovsky district

, founded in 1995. The monastery houses the revered icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Quick to Hear”, a particle of the life-giving Cross of the Lord, a particle of the stairs along which the Savior ascended to trial before Pilate, the holy relics of Seraphim of Sarov, the revered icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Akhtyrskaya” and particles of the holy relics of the venerable Optina elders and other saints pleasers.

The monastery has its own apiary and flower beds, a fish pond and a vegetable garden, as well as a holy spring.

“Autumn”, author Konstantin Tolokonnikov

The nature of the Voronezh region is amazing. The picturesque banks of the Voronezh and Don rivers, the clear waters of the Khopra, the crystal lakes of Kremenchug and Pogonovo, dense forests, the main decoration of which are centuries-old oaks and pines, endless fields and steppes - the nature of the Black Earth Region is beautiful at any time of the year, and its beauty gives inspiration. Thus, the famous Voronezh photographer Konstantin Tolokonnikov, who managed to capture the unique beauty of the nature of his native land from a bird's eye view, glorified the beauty of the Black Earth Region throughout the country. The series of photographs “Geometry of Autumn”, which brought Konstantin a number of victories at international photo competitions, reflects all the charm of the natural world during Indian summer. The bright colors with which the Voronezh landscapes are painted, the naturalness of the lines, the simplicity and charming ease with which nature completes the next annual circle - Konstantin Tolokonnikov managed to convey all this in his photographs, which have rightfully received recognition from experts in photographic art and connoisseurs of Russian nature.

Source: "Agency for Innovation and Development", https://www.innoros.ru/voronezhskaya_oblast/svyataya-zemlya-voronezhskogo-kraya.

Presentation on the topic Holy places of Voronezh

Slide description:

XX century
During the Second World War in 1942, the Anti-Religious Museum was evacuated, and upon its return merged with the local history museum. In January 1943, after the liberation of Voronezh, an exhibition of captured equipment was set up near the church. The building itself was heavily damaged during bombing and shelling: the covering of the dome, the roof and rafters of the refectory burned down, the cornices collapsed, and crosses were knocked down. Voronezh residents who returned to the destroyed city adapted the church for housing, even settling in the bell tower. In 1943, the temple building still belonged to the Museum of Local Lore. The church was restored according to the design of the architect Boris Nikolaevich Zotov (1896-1963). In August 1945, the so-called “twenty” was organized, led by Mikhail Pavlovich Vdovin and Fyodor Tikhonovich Khrenov, petitioning for the return of the temple to believers. Patriarch Alexy I (Simansky) twice supported these petitions with his appeals. On March 2, 1948, the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church decided: “To satisfy the petition of believers to open the Church of the Intercession in the city of Voronezh and to propose to the authorized representative of the Council at the Voronezh Regional Executive Committee to register the community and formalize the transfer of the church building and religious property to it.” The decision to open the Intercession Church for believers was made on May 10, 1948; on May 26, the building was transferred to the Orthodox community. Archpriest Vasily Kapitonovich Kazmin was appointed rector of the temple. The Znamensky chapel in the refectory was consecrated by Bishop Joseph (Orekhov) on October 14, 1948, with a huge crowd of people. The Church of the Intercession became a cathedral. Two purchased houses were restored in the churchyard, one of them became the residence of the bishop. After repairs, the cathedral was consecrated on October 7, 1951 by Archbishop Joseph, concelebrated by 14 priests. At this time, priests Demetrius Bogoyavlensky, Konstantin Buchilovsky, Matvey Raevsky, Semyon Bobkin, and protodeacons John Zemskov and John Korovin served in the church. On November 23, 1952, a chapel in the church was consecrated in the name of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. In 1961-1962, a major renovation of the church was carried out under Bishop Sergius (Petrov). In 1960-1975, Archpriest Mikhail Orfeev was the rector and at the same time the secretary of the Diocesan Administration. In 1963, Averky Iosadovich Osadchy was appointed priest of the temple, and in 1968 he became the keymaster of the cathedral. In 1980-1986, the rector of the cathedral was Abbot Daniil (Patskan) (1940-1998), in 1986-1989 - Abbot Alipiy (Pogrebnyak). On May 6, 1982, the celebration of the tercentenary of the Voronezh diocese took place in the Intercession Cathedral. Metropolitan Sergius (Petrov) of Odessa and Kherson (served together with Bishop Juvenaly), who previously headed the Voronezh diocese, came to the celebrations. Since the late 1980s, a baptismal church in the name of John the Baptist, a Sunday school, a sacristy, a prosphora, and a diocesan administration have grown up on the church grounds. Members of the Orthodox brotherhood gather at the church in the name of Saints Mitrofan and Tikhon. In honor of these Voronezh bishops, new chapels appeared in the cathedral to replace the lost ones. From 1976 to January 2002, the regent of the bishop's choir of the Intercession Cathedral was the Honored Artist of Russia, Candidate of Art History Vasily Dmitrievich Chernyshev. The choir under his leadership gained wide popularity outside the walls of the temple. On September 17, 1989, the relics of St. Mitrofan were solemnly transferred to the Intercession Cathedral. Until this time, they were kept in the Voronezh Regional Museum of Local Lore. In the church calendar, this date is listed as the second discovery of the relics of the Voronezh high priest. In 1989-1994, the Rector of the Intercession Cathedral was Archimandrite, then Bishop of Zadonsk Nikon (Mironov), vicar of the Voronezh diocese. From March 1994 to May 2003 - Archpriest Vasily Zaliznyak. “Church Word” is the first parish newspaper in Voronezh, published in January 1998. On November 14 and 15, 1998, services were held in the Intercession Cathedral with the participation of Patriarch Alexy II, here the head of the Russian Orthodox Church venerated the relics of the first Voronezh bishop. Led by Patriarch Alexy II, the procession headed to the construction site of the Annunciation Cathedral, which is destined to become a new cathedral and receive the relics of St. Mitrofan.

In June 2003, Abbot Andrei (Tarasov), who is also the secretary of the diocesan administration, was appointed rector of the Intercession Cathedral. After the solemn service on May 26, 2003, parishioners escorted Metropolitan Methodius (Nemtsov) of Astana and Alma-Ata, who headed the Voronezh diocese for 21 years, to the place of new service. On May 30, 2003, a meeting of the new Voronezh bishop, Metropolitan of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk Sergius (Fomin) took place here. On December 5, 2009, on the eve of the day of remembrance of St. Mitrophanius, the relics of the heavenly patron of the Voronezh land were transferred from the Intercession Cathedral of the city of Voronezh to the new Annunciation Cathedral of the Voronezh and Borisoglebsk diocese. Currently, the service in the cathedral is carried out by Archpriest Sergius Mozdor (rector since 23.10. 2009), Vyacheslav Minenkov and Georgy Semenyuta, abbots Savva (Nikiforov) and Seraphim (Klyuchantsev), priest Alexander Krivotulov, deacon Alexy Zavgorodniy (cleric).

Sacred places are places of spiritual power

Budgetary educational institution of the Municipal Formation Dinskoy District “Secondary School No. 21” Krasnoselskoye village, st. Kirova, 62A

Tel. 8(86162)3-33-60, E – school212013

Topic: Sacred places - places of spiritual power"

Completed by: Anastasia Shpilkova, 6th grade student

Head: Irina Vladimirovna Tereshchenko, biology teacher

Research Article

Sacred is everything related to the Divine, religious, heavenly, mystical, etc. Probably everyone wanted to visit such places. After all, if you believe, then it is in them that dreams come true and your spiritual state improves. There is a widely known theory that places revered as shrines are natural anomalies, the special energy of which is felt by most people. However, communion at a holy place still requires the observance of peculiar rituals. By choosing modest clothing for the trip and showing respect for the place you are going to visit, you are already setting yourself up for a positive outcome from the trip. This is the meaning of visiting shrines - receiving a positive psychological charge, spiritual healing. Natural shrines not made by hands—holy places and holy springs—have a particularly beneficial effect on humans. The Krasnodar region is rich in them. More than a dozen springs and springs flow here, the origin of which is explained as a Christian miracle. In most holy springs in the Krasnodar Territory it is allowed to collect water and swim. Some even have special baths.

1.1. Relevance.

Receiving a positive psychological charge, spiritual healing, which is especially beneficially influenced by miraculous natural shrines - holy places and holy springs. To interest residents of other regions who come to the Krasnodar Territory and their comrades, to compile a guide to sacred places of the Krasnodar Territory. To develop an understanding of the need to protect natural resources.

1.2. Hypothesis. Target. Tasks.

Natural shrines not made by hands—holy places and holy springs—have a beneficial effect on humans.

Goal: Through studying information sources about sacred places of the Krasnodar region, studying literature, learn about the healing properties of places, the history of their origin.

Tasks:

1. Collect information from various sources about sacred places in the Krasnodar Territory, creating a route with a description for those who want to visit these places, but do not know where they are;

2. Study scientific and popular science articles, literature, opinions of people who visited these places,

3. Tell the students of our school about the results of the study by taking a virtual tour.

1.3. Objects, forms, research methods.

Holy springs of the Krasnodar region. No guidebook has been compiled. Obtaining information from printed sources, the global Internet, analysis and synthesis of the data obtained.

1.4. Novelty.

A colorful guide has been compiled that can be read by anyone who wants to visit spiritual places - places of Power. Addresses of sites where you can find information about each source, not only in terms of spiritual, but also physical healing, are provided. Organizing virtual excursions for students and parents.

Traveling to the shrine is a serious step. Therefore, it is not worth packing for a trip with the expectation of an entertaining tour of sacred places. A visit to a holy spring requires a certain mood. But this does not mean that the meaning of such a trip is accessible only to a deeply religious person. I was able to visit some places.

Pustyn Feodosiya Caucasian farmstead Gorny is located in the village. Gorny Crimean region. In the picturesque gorge there is the holy spring of St. Theodosius of the Caucasus. This place is remarkable because the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to Saint Theodosius there. This source appeared after his prayers. Only in the gorge does the climbing periwinkle grow. When the priest first moved to these places, he did not leave the stone for seven days and nights, praying that the Lord would enlighten him on where to build the church. Finally, the Most Pure One indicated the place for the temple and the prosphora. By the wave of Her wonderful right hand, the periwinkle turned green on the stones. The mountainside is still covered with this evergreen flower; it is no longer found in the entire gorge. Father Theodosius and his novices built a chapel, a prosphora, cells and asked God for that very source, which, through his prayers, later became miraculous. Now on this holy place a temple has been built in the name of the “Life-Giving Spring” icon of the Mother of God.

Having visited the Neberdzhaevskoye Gorge, you now encounter three healing springs containing silver cations: the Mother of God, St. Nicholas and St. John the Baptist. There are also two chapels here: John the Baptist and St. Nicholas the Saint. Holy springs of Neberjay - “Holy Hand”, Shapsugsky

The springs of the “Holy Hand” complex have been known for their healing water since ancient times. Many monks who labored in the mountains prayed at the “Holy Hand”, at the springs of John the Baptist, St. Nicholas, the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, the Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul, and, through their prayers, these springs were sanctified, and with the water from them they were healed from various diseases, coming in faith.

The name “Holy Hand” was given because at one of the springs water flowed over a stone whose outline resembled a woman’s hand. And due to the fact that many, having prayed at the Holy Spring to the Most Holy Theotokos, through Her intercession to Her Son, received healing, perceiving this as grace given by the Mother of God, and the stone hand through which healing water flowed - as an image of Her hand, giving this grace. It is impossible to count all the miraculous healings at the source, but some need to be mentioned. On the Black Sea coast there lived a family with a sick daughter. After intense prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos for the healing of their sick daughter, the parents were miraculously shown the place where she should receive healing. Immediately, having set off on their journey, the family came to this very source, and it was exactly the same as they saw in the vision. This was the source of the Dormition of the Mother of God, or “Banai” - Handle. Having prayed fervently, the parents left their daughter at the spring for a while, and she continued to pray, drink the healing water of the spring, bathe in it and was healed. As a sign of gratitude, the girl tied her maiden belt near the waters of the spring, thereby taking a vow of celibacy and fulfilling it, living in purity all her life. In September 2001, a family from Rostov came to the spring. An 18-year-old son has an eye disease - accelerated retinal detachment. He was offered surgery at the eye center in Krasnodar, and before the operation he was advised to visit the “Holy Hand”. Having visited the source, they lit many candles, asked to serve a prayer service, and purchased icons and spiritual literature. The young man also prayed earnestly, washing his eyes abundantly with healing water and drinking it, his parents also prayed earnestly and left for the operation. Two days later, they again come to the spring to thank the Lord and John the Baptist: during the preoperative examination, the disease was not detected. Subsequently, many, having received healing, left something at the spring: some a scarf, some just a piece of woven cloth, which was later used for sewing clothes for ascetics monks and to decorate the chapel that was subsequently built. [ 1]

The holy spring in the village of Plancheskaya Shchel, the spring of Friendship, was consecrated on July 16, 2005. Located in the Krasnodar Territory, Seversky District, in the village. Plancheskaya Gap, in a difficult to reach place. It is not known for certain whose name this holy spring bears - either St. Peter, or “Faith, Hope, Love.” There is a Worship Cross at the key, there are many icons on the trees around, there is a table and benches for tired travelers. The water in the spring is cold and very tasty, but in particularly dry weather it happens that it becomes cloudy and there is very little or no water. Not far away, 800 meters away, there is the local attraction Red Rocks and a tourist center.

The chapel and spring in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in the city of Goryachiy Klyuch existed first as the Psekup military hospital, and then as a resort. It all started with the consecration of mineral springs. At eight o'clock in the morning on July 15, 1864, in the presence of the ataman of the Kuban Cossack army, Count Elston-Sumarokov, the priest of the village of Fanagoriysky, Nikolai Vinogradov, served a water blessing prayer at the outlet of mineral waters at the foot of the Abadzekh Mountain. “The troops lined up in a square and froze in anticipation of the solemn moment. In the center of the mineral platform there was a table decorated with flowers with an icon of the Mother of God in a silver robe, on the table there was a holy cross, a Gospel and a cup of water. “Lord, Almighty, holy King...,” the priest’s voice echoed through the gorge, “have Your healing power been sent down from heaven...” And at that moment, the sky, covered with thick clouds in the morning, brightened, the rain stopped, and through the wet foliage of the trees growing on the slopes they broke through bright sun rays. Piercing the clouds of steam from sulfur springs with light, they filled the valley with radiance, and it seemed that God’s very blessing descended on this place. Over time, a stone chapel was built at the base of the mountain. On the map of 1885 it is already marked among other buildings of the Psekup military hospital.

The chapel in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God is located at the foot of the Abadzekh (Klyuchevaya) Mountain, not far from the right bank of the Psekups River. Here, in a stone grotto, people have long noticed a healing spring, giving it the name Iversky. Evidence of its former beauty has been preserved in those days when convenient steps and a border topped with a gate with an icon of the Iveron Mother of God led to a source of pure water. The spring gave believers and pilgrims life-giving water and the grace of God until the twenties of the last century. But then, as a result of the shifting of mountain layers, there was no water in the mineral spring. As a reminder of the blessed spring, only a bowl in the shape of a sea shell and the chapel itself remained. Nowadays the territory belongs to the Goryachiy Klyuch Healing Park, the place is called Mineral Glade. [1]

The Holy Spring Spring of Friendship, Mount Lysaya, Tuapse region, is considered one of the most beautiful tourist attractions included in the routes of the “Golden Arc of Southern Auto Tourism”. He runs along a ravine: on the left is Lysaya Mountain, from the top of which views of the snowy peaks of the Western Elbrus region open at any time of the year, on the right is Khlebushkova Mountain. If you climb its slopes and wander along them a little, keeping silence, you will see deer, mountain goats, wild boars, and if you are lucky (or unlucky), then gray predators - wolves.

The Spring of Friendship itself is shaved by a twenty-two meter cascade of a waterfall. Water flies down along a steep rock wall. The foot of the waterfall is considered to be the source of Psekups.

The holy spring of Elijah the Prophet, the village of Kurinskaya, is located in the area of the Kurinka River in the Tuapse region. There are many legends associated with the holy spring of the prophet Elijah. For example, in the twenties of the last century, one seriously ill woman dreamed of the holy prophet Elijah. He showed her the place of healing - a spring not far from the village of Kurinskaya. After washing herself with water from the spring, the woman recovered, and the spring was named after the saint. Another story tells about a woman and her disabled adult son, who has not been able to walk since childhood. Having learned about the existence of this source, the mother carried her son into the mountains and the Lord rewarded them both for their faith, healing her son from an illness. Every year, on August 2, thousands of believers flock here to the source. Throughout the night there is a continuous service and prayers are read. A prayer service and the rite of blessing the waters of the spring are served; many of the believers ask for healing from various ailments and illnesses and, by their faith, receive.

Holy spring of the Mother of God in the village. Tourists and pilgrims try to visit Gaverdovsky. A person suffering from one or another illness drinks this water, washes himself with it and, believing in its healing properties, receives healing. And sometimes, out of deep faith, with prayer he is healed from a disease that cannot be cured with conventional medications or even through surgery. There are cases when doctors diagnosed a cancerous tumor with metastases, and this person had little time to live. And then a person with deep faith in healing, as the last station, turns to God and His Most Holy Mother. The church accepts the repentant confession of such a person, the priest blesses her for communion - the reception of the Holy Divine Gifts. Then the person goes to the holy spring, drinks the water and washes himself with it. After a certain time, during a repeated analysis, to the surprise of the doctors, not even traces of a cancerous lesion were found. After this, a person lives a long time and thanks God for this great mercy.

The Lord, in His mercy, points out such sources of healing holy water to the believing people. One day they came to this spring and the girl noticed a small depression filled with spring water. At the bottom of this shallow hole, among the grass and burdocks, the Face of the Mother of God shone. The girl at first thought that someone had dropped a medallion or icon and decided to get this item out of the water. But her hand did not feel what she wanted. And then the mother standing nearby realized that the source was consecrated by the Heavenly Queen herself and that the water in this source was miraculous. The spring soon received the name Life-Giving.

The spring, the holy spring of Pantileimon the healer - this holy spring named in honor of the holy martyr Pantileimon the healer is located in the Mineral Glade of the Sanatorium Park. The source of ferruginous mineral water, accessible to all visitors to the Healing Park, was consecrated in 1995 in the name of the healer Pantileimon. It is located on the slope of a mountain in the Mineral Glade area. It is especially popular among vacationers; many believe that the spring water rejuvenates the body. The correct full name is the chapel in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. By decision of the Ecumenical Council in 672, the lands of the Circassians were attached to the Mtskheta diocese (Georgia). Under Emperor Justinian, the Circassians joined Orthodoxy. Hence the veneration of the Iveron Icon, which, according to the Orthodox, helps in healing from illnesses. The chapel is located at the foot of the Abadzekh (Klyuchevaya) Mountain, not far from the right bank of the Psekups River. It was attached to a stone grotto in the second half of the 19th century next to the healing Iversky spring. There is no exact date of construction, but on the map of 1885 the chapel was already marked among other buildings of the Psekup military hospital. These waters are especially rich in iron salts.

The holy spring of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa in the village of Nekrasovskaya existed on this site even before the beginning of the 20th century. It was in it that the icon was revealed to a local shepherd on the 9th Friday after Easter (whose image was depicted on it is unknown). The shepherd took the shrine home, but the next day it disappeared and was again discovered in the spring. After this, the most pure image was taken away and taken to the church, however, it disappeared from there too, once again ending up in the waters of the spring. Then it was decided to build a church near the source. After this amazing event, the spring itself began to exhibit wonderful healing properties. The spring was consecrated in honor of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, ennobled it, put a well over it, and built a chapel nearby, placing the revealed icon in it. A beautiful garden was laid out around the place. During the years of Soviet power, the source was abandoned. But in the 1990s they remembered about the shrine, found the source, and put it in order. Local residents and visiting pilgrims from other regions of the country began to come to the blessed place. The Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva Friday is one of the most revered saints in Rus'; people prayed to her for droughts and floods, she helped with various diseases, women asked her for family happiness, and girls asked her for good grooms. People approached her with requests for a good harvest and the safety of domestic animals. It gives spiritual peace to all believers, helps in solving difficult problems, and restores health and vitality to the body.

The source of the Ust-Labinsk region is located in the Novoselovka farmstead in honor of John of Kronstadt. The waters of the spring, making their way upward, were first discovered at the end of the last century. But thanks to the healing water, the source and font still receive a huge number of pilgrims today. The source is named in honor of John of Kronstadt.

The big red holy spring White Clay has been known in this area since 1810, when the first houses of the future settlement began to be built near it. Among the local residents of Belaya Glina, for its beauty, this place received the name Krasny, from the word “beautiful”. And due to its abundance of water, it is also sometimes called the Big One.

The holy spring Krinitsa, the village of Staroderevyankovsk, Kanevsky district, is named after the martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. It is also called the holy spring Krinitsa. Every resident in the area knows about the holy spring. Stories about the healings that take place at the spring are passed down among local residents from generation to generation. By coming to the spring with prayer, believers received healing. Today, a chapel is installed above the spring, and the area around the spring is landscaped.

The holy source of the icon of the Mother of God, the village of Ekaterinovka. The source is consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Unfading Color”. Located in an area of extraordinary beauty, on the outskirts of the village of Ekaterinovka. The holy spring is known for multiple healing stories, next to the mud spring, which the locals have used for many years to treat musculoskeletal diseases. In the village there is the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through the efforts of whose rector the source was restored.

It is unknown when the well was dug. Not far away, about a hundred meters away, stood a wooden church in honor of St. Nicholas. The water in the well was blessed. Village residents used it for drinking and watering their gardens. They collected mud from the river near the spring and smeared it on their joints. Old-timers say that in the well they saw the image of the Virgin Mary, according to the description “Unfading Color”. During the destruction of the church, the well was filled in. Only in 2008, it was accidentally dug up again. In the same year, on the patronal feast day of September 21, it was consecrated by the dean of the Yeisk district, Archpriest Ilya Kryak. There is evidence of healing of the genitourinary system and musculoskeletal system.

Holy springs of the Korenovsky Holy Assumption Convent, the city of Korenovsk. The sisters of the monastery themselves dug a well, which bears the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. This place is held in special esteem by the parishioners and nuns of the monastery, despite the fact that today the water from the well is almost never used. The monastery has its own bathhouse of the icon of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Spring”, it is located not far from the spring.

The holy spring in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God plays an important role in the life of the monastery courtyard and everyone close to it in the village of Plastunovskaya, Dinsky district. The story of his miraculous appearance is unusual. This happened on the day of the celebration of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, July 9, 2007. On this holiday, during work to connect two ponds (Mother Neonilla, the abbess of the monastery, wanted to ennoble and adapt them for breeding fish, swans, lotuses) , an excavator removed a layer of earth from which 3 fountains of clean water began to noisily flow, it was the Lord who showed us His miracle. The temperature of the source water is up to 8°C.

After conducting a survey of students and parents of secondary school No. 21, I found out that out of 50 students surveyed, they visited holy places, and out of 50 parents, respectively: 47 students and 50 parents visit holy places.

Do you have a desire to throw away garbage or otherwise harm the environment? 47 students and 50 parents responded negatively.

45 students and 50 parents felt lightness and calm.

After the visit, all students and parents were in a good mood and feeling well.

Subsequently, 47 students and 50 parents expressed a desire to visit sacred places.

Has your health improved? 10 students and 21 parents responded affirmatively.

Holy springs have truly healing properties due to the chemical composition of the water, as is known from medical research. Healing and extraordinary properties of the holy pen springs in the Krasnodar region

The source of Living and Dead Water is located on the edge of Bolshaya Romashkovaya Polyana, closer to the road leading to the village of Shapsugskaya. There is a cross at the outlet of the source. This spring is notable for the fact that the stream emanating from it a little further is divided into two, according to beliefs, one formed a stream with Living water, the other with Dead water. It is believed that both the composition of the water and the temperature in the streams are different. They also say that many people have healed their ailments, dead water even cures cancer, and living water cures diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, etc. For internal use, doctors recommend diluting this water with regular drinking water in a ratio of 1:2 and heating it to 38-40 degrees.

The Serebryany spring is located next to the road, if you move from Shapsugskaya towards the village of Erivanskaya, three hundred meters short of the Cossack Ford across the Abin River. Thanks to the silver ions contained in the waters of the spring, it can be stored in dishes for a long time without spoiling; locals claim that it retains freshness and a pleasant taste for at least a year. Several years ago the spring was consecrated. Now adults and children are baptized in the waters of the source, sometimes they even bathe in the water in 20-degree frost, but none of them got sick. (There are known cases of healing from various diseases).

The Solontsy springs, or as it is also called the Mud Volcano, are outlets of mineralized water surrounded by gray-blue mud flowing down the bed of the ravine. The waters of the source may contain hydrogen sulfide, but there is no odor. Mud flows periodically form a volcanic cone. In oval craters filled with water with constantly rising bubbles of odorless flammable gas (possibly methane). Previously, local residents called this place “Salt Spring”. Mud has healing properties and helps with rheumatism, arthritis and other diseases. In the pre-war years, they say a balneological pavilion was built in the clearing

Having visited these saints, you feel peace, lightness appears, and faith in yourself and your strength is strengthened. That's why I want to come here again and again. I am glad that my family understands the need to visit holy places. Perhaps if everyone in Russia visited such places at least occasionally, the world would become a better place, and we would be kinder to each other.

The significance of the work is that it is possible to interest residents of other regions who come to the Krasnodar region and their comrades to visit the holy springs. Through studying information sources about sacred places of the Krasnodar region, studying literature, you can learn about the healing properties of the sources, the history of their origin. A route and virtual tour have been drawn up. (Appendix 1), which can be read by anyone who wants to visit spiritual places - places of Power that the nature of our native land has preserved for us. These works and presentation can be used in Kuban studies lessons, class events, and classes on the basics of Orthodox culture. This work can help develop an understanding of the need to protect natural resources and preserve spiritual heritage.

Literary sources.

1. Samoilenko A. A. Guide to Kuban. Krasnodar, 2001.

Internet - sources.

https://kamaran.ru/places/725
https://kuban.kp.ru/daily/26014/2937656/
https://otdih.nakubani.ru/eto-interesno/2011-09-07-po-svyatyim-mestam/
https://www.svyato.info/krasnodarskiy-kray.html
https://www.esosedi.ru/onmap/svyatoy_istochnik_svyataya_ruchka_/1000083578/index.html
https://svyato.info/krasnodarskijj-krajj/korenovskijj-rajjon-krasnodarskijj-krajj/korenovsk-korenovskijj/6572-24-aprelja-prazdnovanie-ikone-jivonosnyi.html
https://svyato.info/krasnodarskijj-krajj/korenovskijj-rajjon-krasnodarskijj-krajj/korenovsk-korenovskijj/5625-rodniki-svjatye-istochniki-korenovskogo-monastyrja.html
https://www.ruist.ru/index.php/krasnodarskij-kraj/91-istochniki/3126-svyatoj-istochnik-ioanna-kronshtadtskogo-khutor-novoselovka
https://svyato.info/krasnodarskijj-krajj/abinskijj-rajjon-krasnodarskijj-krajj/stanica-shapsugskaja-abinskijj/6917-rodniki-serebryanyj-svjatojj-mineralnye-istochnki.html
https://kamaran.ru/places/725
https://www.temples.ru/show_picture.php?PictureID=69050

Cathedral of Voronezh Saints

May 12, 2013

The Cathedral of Voronezh Saints is a holiday of the Russian Orthodox Church in honor of the saints who shone forth in the Voronezh land. The cathedral is also a host of Voronezh saints.

The celebration of the day of the cathedral memory of all saints of the Voronezh diocese was established at the diocesan meeting of the Voronezh diocese, held in Voronezh on February 28, 2002 on the initiative of Metropolitan Methodius of Voronezh.

The holiday was established with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'.

The feast of the Cathedral was established on September 4 (17), in memory of the second discovery of the relics of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh, which occurred in 1989.

As Metropolitan Methodius said: “This event is the beginning of a new stage in the life of our diocese, it has become a true sign of the revival of church life.”

In 2012, a church-wide celebration of the memory of all the saints of the Voronezh and Lipetsk diocese (that is, who labored in the territory of the two regions) was established. On June 6, 2010, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' established a separate church-wide celebration of the Council of Lipetsk Saints.

About the icon of the Cathedral of Voronezh Saints.

The icon depicts the faces:

First row from bottom, left to right:

1. Hieromartyr Peter Zverev2. Hieromartyr Peter (Polyansky) 3. Saint Theophan the Recluse4. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk5. Saint Alexy Metropolitan of Moscow6. Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh7. Saint Anthony of Voronezh8. Saint Innocent (Borisov)9. Hieromartyr Tikhon (Nikonorov)10. Hieromartyr Zechariah (Lobov)

Second row, left to right:

Venerable Hilarion of Optina
Hieromartyr Onufry (Gagalyuk)
Vasily (in the world Veniamin Preobrazhensky) bishop. Kineshemsky, Spanish: †1945;
Agafangel (in the world Alexander Preobrazhensky), Metropolitan. Yaroslavsky, Spanish, St.: †1928;
Hieromartyr Mitrofan (Krasnopolsky)
Sergius (Zverev), archbishop. Eletsky, Melitopol, sschmch.: †1937;
Uar Lipetsky
Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)
Vasily (Zelentsov), bishop. Priluksky, sschmch.:†1930;
John (Troyan), bishop. Velikoluksky, sschmch.: †1938;
Jonah (Lazarev), bishop. Velizhsky, sschmch.: †1937;
Nektariy (Tikhonov) Optina, Hieroschim., St.: †1928;

Third row, left to right:

1. John Kochurov, Tsarskoye Selo, prot. sschmch.: †1917;2. Hilarion (Fokin) the Recluse, Troekurovsky (Tambovsky), prp.:†1853;3. Tikhon (in the world Timofey Krechkov), archimandrite, prmch.: †1930;4. Innocent (Beda), archim., prmch.: †1928;5. Ambrose (Grenkov) Optinsky, Hieroschim., St.: †1891;6. Silouan (Antonov) of Athos, St.: †1938;7. Georgy (Pozharov), hierome, martyr: †1930;8. Cosmas (Vyaznikov), hierome, martyr: †1930;9. Sergius Krotkov, prot., sschmch.: †1938;10. Vasily Maksimov, prot., sshmch.: †1937;

Fourth row, from left to right:

1. Pavel Popov, priest sschmch.: †1938;2. Nikolai Sadovsky, priest, schmch.: †1938;3. Daniil Alferov, priest, schmch.:†1930;4. Alexander Vislyansky, priest, schmch.:†1930;5. Venerable Martyr Theodore (Epiphany) - came to this image through a misunderstanding; he is not included in the Cathedral of Voronezh Saints;6. Rev. Confessor Georgy (Lavrov)7. Grigory Bogoyavlensky, martyr: †1938;8. Alexander Orlov, priest, schmch.: †1937;9. Eutychius (in the world Euthymius Kachur), abbot, martyr: †1937;10. Tikhon of Arkhangelsk, priest, schmch.: †1937;

Fifth row, left to right:

1. John (Bykov) Sezenovsky (Tambovsky), Fool for Christ’s sake, St.: †1839;2. John Aleshkovsky, priest, schmch.: †1938;3. Feodosius Boldyrev, priest, schmch.: † 1937;4. Hieromartyr Alexy (Zinoviev)5. Georgy Nikitin, priest, schmch.: †1930;6. Ignatius (Biryukov), archim., isp., prp.: †1932;7. Venerable Martyr Natalia (Ulyanova)8. Rev. Confessor Sergius (Srebryansky)9. Chionia Arkhangelskaya, Spanish, right: †1945;10. John Steblin-Kamensky, priest, schmch.: †1930

Sixth row, left to right:

1. Theodore Yakovlev, priest, schmch.: †1930;2. Sergius Gortynsky, priest, schmch.: †1930;3. Alexander Arkhangelsky, prot., sschmch.: †1930;4. Serafima (Morgacheva) Sezenovskaya, abbess, St.: †1789;5. Theodore of Sanaksar (Ushakov), warrior, right: †1817;6. Daria (Kutukova) Sezenovskaya (Lebedyanskaya), old woman, st.: †1858;7. Evfimy Grebenshchigkov, martyr: †1930;8. Pyotr Vyaznikov (1930), martyr: †1930.

The seventh row and further - the halos of other Voronezh saints are visible

Saints of the Voronezh region:

Hieromartyr Alexander (Arkhangelsk)
Hieromartyr Alexander (Vislyansky)
Hieromartyr Alexander (Lebedev)
Hieromartyr Alexy (Zinoviev)
Venerable Martyr Alexy (Gavrin)
Saint Alexy Metropolitan of Moscow
Venerable Anthony of Ardatov
Saint Anthony of Voronezh
Hieromartyr Boris (Voskoboynikov)
Hieromartyr Vasily (Maksimov)
Saint Basil (Preobrazhensky)
Saint Vladimir (Shimkovich)
Hieromartyr George (Nikitin)
Venerable Martyr George (Pozharov)
Martyr Gregory (Epiphany)
Hieromartyr Daniil (Alferov)
Hieromartyr Evgeniy (Popov)
Venerable Martyr Eutykhios (Kachur)
Martyr Evfimy (Grebenshchikov)
Hieromartyr Zechariah (Lobov)
Rev. Ignatius (Biryukov),
Venerable Hilarion of Optina
Venerable Martyr Hilarion (Tsurikov)
Venerable Martyr Innocent (Beda)
Saint Innocent (Borisov)
Venerable Ioannikis (Averkiev)
Venerable John of Sezenovsky
Hieromartyr John (Steblin-Kamensky)
Hieromartyr Jonah (Lazarev)
Hieromartyr Ismail Bazilevsky,
Saint Justin (Polyansky)
Hieromartyr Kirill (Smirnov),
Venerable Martyr Cosmas (Vyaznikov)
Martyr Leo (Kuntsevich)
Venerable Martyr Melchizedek (Khukhryansky)
Saint Mitrofan of Voronezh
Hieromartyr Mitrofan (Devitsky)
Hieromartyr Mitrofan (Krasnopolsky)
Martyr Natalia (Siluyanova)
Venerable Nektarios (Venediktov)
Venerable Martyr Nektarios (Ivanov)
Hieromartyr Nicholas of Vitebsk
Hieromartyr Nicholas (Sadovsky)
Hieromartyr Nicholas (Shabashev)
Hieromartyr Onufry (Gagalyuk)
Martyr Pelagia (Zhidko)
Martyr Peter (Vyaznikov)
Hieromartyr Peter (Zverev)
Hieromartyr Peter (Polyansky)
Venerable Martyr Pimen of Voronezh
Venerable Martyr Seraphim of Voronezh
Saint Seraphim (Sobolev)
Hieromartyr Sergius (Gortynsky)
Rev. Confessor Sergius (Srebryansky)
Venerable Martyr Spyridon of Voronezh
Hieromartyr Tikhon (Arkhangelsk)
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
Venerable Martyr Tikhon (Krechkov)
Hieromartyr Tikhon (Nikanorov)
Hieromartyr Theodore (Epiphany)
Righteous Theodore (Ushakov)
Hieromartyr Theodore (Yakovlev)
Hieromartyr Theodosius (Boldyrev)
Venerable Martyr Theodoret of Voronezh
Saint Theophan the Recluse
Confessor Chionia (Arkhangelskaya)
Saints of the Lipetsk and Yeletsk diocese from the Cathedral of Voronezh saints (whose life path is connected exclusively with the cities and towns now included in the Lipetsk and Yeletsk diocese):
Saint Agathangel (Preobrazhensky)
Hieromartyr Alexander (Orlov)
Martyr Alexandra (Smolyakova)
Venerable Martyr Ambrose (Astakhov)
Venerable Ambrose of Optina
Martyr Anna (Borovskaya)
Hieromartyr Vasily (Zelentsov) (from the village of Rannenburg district, but the village itself remained in the Ryazan region)
Hieromartyr Vasily (Krymkin)
Rev. Confessor Georgy (Lavrov)
Venerable Daria Sezenovskaya
Martyr Euphrosyne (Denisova)
Hieromartyr Ignatius (Sadkovsky)
Rev. Hilarion Troekurovsky
Hieromartyr John (Trojan)
Hieromartyr John (Aleshkovsky)
Hieromartyr John (Kochurov)
Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)
Venerable Martyr Natalia (Ulyanova)
Venerable Nectarius of Optina
Hieromartyr Pavel (Popov)
Venerable Sebastian (Fomin)
Venerable Seraphima of Sezenovskaya
Hieromartyr Sergius (Zverev)
Hieromartyr Sergius (Krotkov)
priest Sergius (Pravdolyubov)
Venerable Silouan of Athos
Hieromartyr Uar of Lipetsk

Southern Karachay-Cherkess Church District

Time rushes forward, hour after hour goes by immutably.

And it is impossible for anyone to return what has passed.

Take care of every hour: we have few of them for wandering.

And put repentance on the clock instead of weights on the scales.

Each passing hour brings us all closer to the coffin.

Remembering this destiny, accumulate good deeds little by little.

And throw away the vanity, do not strive for sin so carelessly,

But in the vale of earth, renew your soul to eternal life

The parishioners of the Southern Karachay-Cherkessian deanery district met with the lines of this epigraph, which has great meaning, in the Alekseevo-Akatovo convent in the city of Voronezh, making a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Voronezh and Lipetsk region in the period from May 9 to 11 of this year.

Every time we go on a pilgrimage, we make sure to stop by the Zadonsk monasteries, ask for the intercession of the Queen of Heaven and the blessing of Father Tikhon for the trip, and only then do we move on. This has become a kind of pious tradition. Here they even recognize us and greet us like family.

This trip was no exception. It began with a visit to the Zadonsk Nativity of the Virgin Mary Monastery.

Pilgrims had the opportunity to participate in the Divine Liturgy, venerate the Miraculous Image of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, and the relics of St.
Tikhon of Zadonsk, take a tour of the monastery, visit the “Life-Giving Spring” and the forest well dug by St. Tikhon, and then with prayer go to the St. Tikhon's Transfiguration Convent
, surprising with the well-groomed and cordiality of the sisters. St. Tikhon's Monastery is also rich in shrines, which Mother Irina told us about.

The next day began with prayer at the Divine Liturgy of the Intercession Cathedral in Voronezh

, after which, with the guide of the pilgrimage service of the local diocese, we set off on the road, discovering new pages of churches and monasteries of this city.
We visited the Annunciation Cathedral, the Assumption-Admiralty Church, the Alekseevo-Akatov Monastery and its courtyard.
We had the opportunity to pray at the relics of St. Mitrofan of Voronezh, St. Peter (Zverev), a particle of the relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, a reliquary with particles of the relics of the holy twelve apostles, a reliquary with particles of the martyr Natalia, icons with particles of the relics of the holy twelve apostles. Blasius, ep. Sebastian and etc. Silouan of Athos, the miraculous icons of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Source”, “Consolation in Sorrows and Sorrows”, “Kasperovskaya”; The Athos icon of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon and others, you can’t list everything... We took a dip in the holy spring in honor of St. Mitrofan of Voronezh.

We spent the evening service of that day and the first half of the next at the Holy Dormition Divnogorsk Monastery.

We got acquainted with the history of the monastery, visited the caves of the Small Divas, as well as the Cave Church in honor of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. The unusually beautiful places, the warmth and cordiality of the governor and the monastery brethren left an indelible mark on the soul of each of us. Leaving this monastery, everyone said that a piece of our soul would remain here forever.

Next we were greeted by an equally beautiful and blessed monastery - Spassky Kostomarovsky Convent

. Excursion around the monastery, visiting the Caves of the Spassky and Seraphim churches, the Cave of Repentance, the cells of hermit monks, stylites. The above-ground temple and, of course, the miraculous Kostomarovskaya Icon of the Mother of God evoked tears and tenderness in everyone.

These are the three pages of the book of life of each of the 37 pilgrims of the Southern Karachay-Cherkessian deanery district. I really want to believe that this is not the last time we have visited these places, breathing spirituality and grace...

Elena Yakusheva.

Voronezh Sinai, or cave monastery

The scorching sun, dry grass, rare low-growing bushes... A breathtaking combination of heavenly blue with the dazzling whiteness of the chalk slopes, magnificent in its utter simplicity. Travelers slowly ascending the beaten path to the cross installed on the top of the hill... It feels like you have been transported back in time, to the biblical centuries.

No, we are not in Egypt or Palestine. This is the Russian land, the Don steppes, Voronezh Belogorye, the town of Kostomarovo, the Spassky Convent. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that temples and cells are located in snow-white chalk caves, of which there are so many along the banks of the Don.

The creation of cave temples and monasteries began in ancient times. At the dawn of Christianity, believers in Ancient Rome, hiding from persecution and persecution by the authorities, performed divine services and joint prayers in underground catacombs. In the East, caves were used by hermit monks who sought to escape from the outside world for the grace of prayerful solitude. And the first cave monasteries, according to historians, arose in the 4th century in Palestine.

The appearance of such monasteries on Russian soil, which became a continuation of Eastern traditions, began from the time of the Baptism of Rus' and lasted until the 19th century. In the 9th century, the most famous Kiev-Pechersk cave monastery arose in Rus'. Its founder, the father of Russian monasticism, St. Anthony, brought here the tradition of cave solitude from Holy Mount Athos. The atmosphere of the underground cells, with their incredible silence and isolation from the outside world, was very consistent with the spirit of Christian ascetics, who sought to devote their entire lives to serving the Lord. That is why the cave monasteries themselves and the hard, selfless life of their inhabitants have always enjoyed such great respect and honor among the Russian people. Among the most famous similar structures in the Moscow region are the Talitsky caves in the Pushkinsky district and the Gethsemane monastery in Sergiev Posad.

The appearance of cave-temple structures in the Voronezh region was facilitated by the presence of thick Cretaceous deposits in the earth’s crust.

Historically, the Don region was located at the crossroads of trade routes, the most important of which was the Don River. At different times, these places were inhabited by a variety of now extinct peoples and tribes: Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans... From the 10th to the 17th century (almost seven centuries), these lands regularly suffered from raids by nomads: the Pechenegs, Polovtsians, Crimean and Mongol Tatars. A wild field trampled by the hooves of horses, abandoned monasteries and temples - this is what the nomads turned the local land into.

Perhaps this is precisely what can explain the lack of genuine historical information about the time of the emergence of the Kostomarovskaya cave monastery. Although there are several versions.

Thus, at the end of the 19th century, archaeologist and local historian D.M. Strukov put forward a hypothesis according to which cave monasteries arose here a very long time ago, in the first centuries of Christianity. His assumptions were based on the presence of architectural features that make them similar to cave temples in mountainous Cappadocia (north of modern Turkey), the appearance of which historians date back to the 1st millennium BC.

A number of researchers believe that the time of the appearance of the Belogorsk cave-temple structures coincides with the period of the iconoclastic heresy (from the 8th to the 10th centuries), when icon worshipers, hiding from persecution, fled from Byzantium to the north through the Caucasus, Crimea and the Don region, creating cave temples in these places .

I really like the legend that 2000 years ago the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called went here on a mission and preached the Gospel to the Scythian peoples. “Among these peoples, the grain of Christianity will sprout in due time,” the holy apostle wrote about the Russians, who came to his “most liking.” According to this legend, a faithful disciple of Christ founded the first Christian community here, without doubting that faith in one God would fill the hearts of people who had previously worshiped different gods, and would remain with them for centuries. Many legends attribute the founding of the first cave temples here to the holy Apostle Andrew.

The first written mentions of the local cave structures appeared already in the middle of the 17th century. According to this information, on the territory of the modern Spassky convent at that time there was a Divnogorsk men's monastery. Based on these data, researchers P.V. Nikolsky and V.N. Tevyashov at the end of the 19th century suggested that the monastery in Kostomarov was created by monks from Little Russia, who fled here from the union and the cruelty of the Polish gentry. Keeping the memory of the Kyiv caves alive, they began to create temples in the local chalk rocks. True, Nikolsky admits that the monks could have found ready-made and abandoned buildings and settled in them. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the internal structure of the caves is more reminiscent of the ancient Byzantine style than the Kiev one.

The construction of cave galleries continued in the 19th century, and, according to the recollections of old-timers, the Divnogorsk men's monastery continued to exist here. Among local residents and pilgrims, the Cave of Repentance was held in special esteem, in which the holy elder confessed to believers.

With the beginning of the Soviet period, the sad fate of the Orthodox shrines of Rus', unfortunately, befell the monastery in Belogorye. Religious persecution began, and the cave monasteries were closed and destroyed. But many monks, hiding in the most remote cells of the underground labyrinths, continued to secretly carry out their feat of prayer. Knowing this, the residents of the surrounding villages supported the ascetics, collecting and transferring food and clothing to them underground.

Particularly revered in these places in those years was the blessed elder Peter, who possessed the gift of clairvoyance and healing. His relative, local old-timer Pavel Nikiforovich Eremeenko said that Peter cut out a small cave in the Kostomarovsky chalk hills, in which he lived. Father Peter also took a direct part in the construction of the Spassky Church. It is interesting that he presented his instructions to believers in the form of wise parables and allegories, comprehension of the meaning of which required deep reflection.

At the end of the 30s of the 20th century, Elder Pyotr Eremeenko was subjected to religious persecution, captured and sent to Ostrogozh prison. According to official data, he died there, although there is still a legend that the elder disappeared from a closed prison cell. The prison authorities, in order to refute the rumors, ordered the body of the deceased to be taken out of prison and presented to the crowd... however, with his face covered. In memory of Elder Peter, a chapel was built on the territory of the monastery, inside which a cross was erected. Pilgrims today continue to turn to Elder Peter with requests for help.

Before his arrest, Father Peter predicted the appearance of another fiery ascetic in the monastery: “Now Petrushka, and then there will be Andryushka.” Indeed, after the war, the holy fool Andrei appeared here: “In the first years after the opening of the cave church, a holy fool named “Andryushka” labored in it,” this is how government officials wrote about him.

Father Andrei, in the world Andrei Vasilyevich Popov, was from the local village of Klepovka. At the age of 12, he was left without parents and experienced the difficult fate of being an orphan. And he took the path of faith after he miraculously survived a terrible battle during the Great Patriotic War. Watching in horror as people were dying around him, Andrei, without ceasing to pray for salvation, took refuge in a small crater. This is where a miracle happened: the German tank that crawled over his head did not even hit Andrei. It was then that he promised himself to serve the Lord until the end of his days.

Returning from the war, Andrei Popov began visiting houses where believers gathered for joint prayer (at that time there was no church in the village), and later left his home, went to the caves and organized an Orthodox community there.

In 1946, at the numerous requests of believers, worship was officially allowed to be held in the Kostomarovsky Spassky Cave Church. Father Andrei also participated in the expansion of the Spassky Church: he was involved in the creation of the chapel of Saints Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. “And the Lord helped us in our tireless labors, and I finished the altar, the saint, and all the sad and mourning people fled to the holy mountain, and faith was strengthened,” he later wrote about this.

In the community, Andrei was a very revered elder; parishioners always turned to him for advice and prayerful help. Just as Elder Peter once did, Father Andrei provided verbal assistance to the believers in an allegorical form that was not understandable to everyone.

In 1959, during the period of Khrushchev's anti-religious campaign, the Spasskaya Church was finally closed and the activities of the Orthodox community ceased. Shortly before this, representatives of the village government brutally beat Andrei’s father, they mocked him and were going to arrest him. Then the elder decided to leave the human world and become a recluse. He hid in one of the most distant underground caves and spent 13 long years in solitude and prayer.

His notes that have reached us tell us that Father Andrei overcame the most severe monastic trials: he prayed as a stylite so “that his clothes were worn out from sweat.” He stood, tying himself to the wall so as not to fall from powerlessness: “...and I will stand in a pillar in prayer, praying with hot tears for the entire Orthodox world...” Recluse is an incredibly difficult mission, and on especially difficult days, Father Andrei turned to Mother of God asking for help. Coming out of seclusion after 13 years, he went on a journey to holy places. People noted that there was something truly unearthly in the grace emanating from Father Andrei and in the incredible whiteness of his face.

Father Andrei died in 1982. He was buried in one of the village cemeteries, and since then his grave has been a place of veneration and pilgrimage. At one time, Father Andrei predicted the revival of the Kostomarov monastery, calling it the New Jerusalem: “...And peoples will flow here from all sides to listen to the words of the Lord Christ and receive grace.” The prediction came true, the restoration of the ancient monastic land began! In 1993, they began clearing out the caves, and in 1997, the now female Spassky Diocesan Monastery was opened.

At first, only three nuns settled at the foot of the chalk hills among dilapidated abandoned cave structures. One of them, Abbess Seraphima, became the first abbess of the monastery. Currently, all the cave churches have been completely restored and even a new one has been built - in honor of the Mother of God “Recovery of the Lost”; Nursing buildings and utility rooms have also been rebuilt, and a hotel for pilgrims operates.

The incredible external similarity of the monastery landscapes with the Holy Land is complemented by similar names: Mount Tabor, the Kidron stream, the worship cross on Mount Golgotha... A winding road goes around the chalk hills, onto which the entrances to eight main caves open.

The most ancient of the monastery buildings is the Spassky Cathedral. Its man-made parts are very organically combined with stonework created by nature itself. The belfry, sparkling domes topped with crosses, seem to rest on two chalk rocks, which are called “divas” here. Truly a marvelous creation! The temple cave is a whole complex: cells, tombs, a temple with a main altar and a chapel of Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia. The temple vaults lie on large chalk columns; cells with tiny windows are cut into the walls. In the hermitage caves there are also special recesses - stylites, in which the monks prayed while standing, tying themselves to the wall.

Traditionally, icons for cave temples were painted on zinc sheets, since wooden icons quickly deteriorated due to high humidity. The miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, painted on a sheet of zinc, enjoys special veneration among pilgrims. It still bears traces of bullets when the Bolsheviks shot at the holy images. Another particularly revered icon of the cave monastery is the “Holy Family”; in front of this image they pray for well-being and peace in the family. In one of the caves of the temple, according to the testimony of old-timers, the Bolsheviks shot monks and believers. Traces of the blood of the dead priests are still preserved on the walls.

In 1903, they began to build another monastery church in the monastery, consecrated in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov, but after the revolution, construction stopped and was completed only recently. The temple was consecrated on January 15, 2005, after the founding of the Spassky Convent here. The unique icons, carved directly into the thick chalk of the temple walls, amaze with their sophistication and at the same time modesty and splendor! They are ascetic, like all the decoration of the caves, and help visitors tune in to the main thing: the faith that lives in their hearts, to comprehend the inner, spiritual state!

The flow of pilgrims to the most remote monastery of the monastery - the Cave of Repentance - does not stop. Moving along cave corridors, illuminated by the dim light of lamps and candles, plunging into peace and silence, believers seem to be following “from time to eternity,” making a journey into the depths of their souls. As you move away from the entrance, everything external recedes, and the traveler is left alone with himself and with the most important things that are in his life.

Previously, people came here for the sacrament of confession. The low ceiling and very narrow passages involuntarily force visitors to move through the labyrinth in a pose of humility, absorbing the spirit of antiquity, complex human destinies, historical mysteries and secrets that fill the atmosphere of the monastery. For many, this is the moment of truth...

The new 21st century marked the beginning of the era of revival of cave churches transferred to the Voronezh diocese. On Sundays and holidays, services are held here: in the summer - in the Spassky Cathedral, in the winter - in the Church of the Seek of the Lost.

The number of sisters who want to carry out prayer and labor services in the monastery is constantly growing. Every year the number of pilgrims coming to Kostomarovo from various places in Russia, near and far abroad, is increasing. Many of them return here again and again. Imbued with the extraordinary beauty of these places, they are again and again inspired by the incredible strength of spirit, devotion to faith - everything that the vaults, galleries and the most remote corners of the majestic cave structures of the Kostomarov Spassky Monastery forever preserve for posterity!

Prayers

Troparion, tone 6

Under the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, spiritual guards were sent down to us, all the saints of Voronezh, our dreams with saints Mitrofan, Tikhon and Anthony, intercessors, new martyrs and confessors of Christ, reverend lovers of God and blessed ascetics, in labors for Christ, miracles and suffering, the Russian land from the reigning city to Azov Having shone, pray to Christ God for our Orthodox country, and for all who collectively honor you

Kontakion, tone 4

In the light of the godly hierarchs, the pillars of faith Mitrofan, Tikhon and Anthony, today the glorious city of Voronezh flaunts, as if a consecrated cathedral of saints stands before the Lord Almighty: in the same way, the Heavenly Powers rejoice and sing the Holy Trinity; with them we all cry out gratefully to God to grant us remission of sins and great mercy