There are hundreds of Christian places in Kuban. One of them is located 60 km from Anapa, 19 km from the borders of the city of Krymsk and 16 km from the nearest quarter of Novorossiysk (the territory in question is part of the district of the same name). The holy landmark is located in a settlement called the village of Gorny. The Hermitage of Theodosius of the Caucasus is the name most often given to the object of religious worship of thousands of Russian pilgrims. They left their reviews online.
History of appearance
The church - like everything that is located on the designated patch of the spring's bed - is dedicated to an interesting personality who played an important role in the complex biography of Orthodoxy.
Theodosius, who received the “Caucasian” prenomen from the people, was born in the Perm province. In the world his name was Fedor Kashin. One of the places where this hieromonk served, starting from the First World War, was the Caucasus - in the local forests, in the vicinity of the village of Verkhnebakanskaya, located in the foothills. Much in the life of Theodosius is shrouded in darkness - some claim that he was denied canonization, others say that he lived to be 148 years old, others recall in their memoirs that he realized himself as an individual at the age of three (!) and (led by God) went to Athos.
Only two facts from the life of the popular ascetic in the Caucasus have been reliably confirmed. He really was in the temples of Greek Athos, as well as in Istanbul, Jerusalem and other parts of the Western and Central Caucasus. And Fyodor Fedorovich turned a 14-year-old girl from Verkhnebakanskaya into a nun and founded a temple (this is what we are talking about in this article), “decorating it with gold items taken from Jerusalem.” The locals considered him a Teacher. By the way, the old desert has been destroyed.
Legends
Thanks to local myths, some people believe in the healing that the tract can provide. The source of Theodosius of the Caucasus appeared as a miracle - at the moment when the saint was praying.
Holy spring and periwinkle
In the desert there is a beautiful red brick temple, a small chapel of Theodosius of the Caucasus and a well where you can draw water from a holy spring. The entire territory is carefully groomed and put in perfect order, because this is not just an excursion site, but a real active desert - hermit monks live here, living in dugouts far from prying human gazes.
Chapel
A special feature of this place is the dense thickets of periwinkle. This evergreen plant loves water, so it grows especially luxuriantly on the territory of the monastery, irrigated with water from a sacred spring. Periwinkle has a peculiarity - believers see in its flower a symbol of faith and martyrdom - a cross. For ordinary visitors, a blooming periwinkle carpet is a special beauty of this place, a unique color touch and a pleasant memory of the trip.
Church shop
Having visited the hermitage of Theodosius of the Caucasus, every person will be able to join the special world of hermits and feel the holiness that is literally in the air. Believers come here for grace and healing, and ordinary tourists enjoy communicating with the world of holy saints and simply kind and sympathetic people.
Visit to the Hermitage of Theodosius of the Caucasus
The Holy Spring of Theodosius of the Caucasus is something like the closest “Wonder of the World” for the deeply religious residents of Gorny and the village of Verkhnebakanskaya. The path did not “overgrow” here even in the days of the Bolshevik persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The temple of the above-mentioned martyr is built in the middle of a dense beech forest that once grew on the slopes of a low ridge. The long Kudako (Holy) river already flows behind it. From the beginning of the tunnel to the beginning of the Orthodox complex, the walk is only 100 m. After the passage, you move along a forest path. Next you will see:
- Orthodox chapel;
- Church of Theodosius of the Caucasus (remodel made of red brick in the spirit of St. Basil's Cathedral);
- equipped spring well;
- entrances to the dugouts of ascetic hermits;
- a metal cross, in the place of which Theodosius said (before his death in the late 40s of the last century): “I will always be with those who call me...”;
- benches;
- gazebo for 10 people;
- honey trading shop;
- church store;
- candlestick for placing candles: for joy, for help and for peace (on the stone where the hieromonk prayed for 7 days).
Services are held in the premises of the religious building; a rather rich iconostasis is displayed here. The new temple, which occupied the area destroyed by the Bolsheviks, was built only in 2011 and is named after the local icon - “Picturesque Spring”. As a result, many are upset, wanting to see the original. A grand staircase with a balustrade leads to the porch (the building stands on an inclined plane). Most pilgrims come on August 8 - the day of St. Theodosius. People come in search of consolation and recovery, receive a boost of vigor and confidence in their abilities.
Desert location
You can get to this desert from different cities. The closest is Krymsk, a little further is Novorossiysk, only 30 km away. However, you can also get to this holy place from Anapa, which is located 60 km from the historical and religious monument. You can travel either by your own car or by using numerous shuttle buses.
Icon
The desert is located behind the village of Gorny, in a deep gorge, along the slopes of which a fairly dense beech forest grows. There is a special, peaceful silence here. After a stay in the desert, it becomes clear why this particular place was chosen to build a hermit settlement. An unusual feature of this area is the fact that you can get into the desert through a tunnel. It is stone, dark, and the one walking ahead sees a bright light - a direct allegory of enlightenment and receiving absolution on the other side. Passing through this tunnel, pilgrims seem to find themselves in another world, where there is no place for worldly vanity.
Temple
It is unusually quiet here and very easy to breathe. This place really seems to be imbued with holiness and detachment from the outside world. However, he rudely reminds of his reality with a memorial cross standing at the site of the execution of innocent nuns during the revolution.
How to get there (get there)?
It is more convenient to move to the “holy” stream along the entrance that begins in front of the north-eastern entrance to the village of Gorny, namely where Zheleznodorozhnaya Street ends. You need to go through the tunnel under the railway (there is an icon at the entrance to it).
By car, you can independently get to the Orthodox landmark from Anapa in the following way:
Contact Information
- Address: Gorny village, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar region, Russia.
- GPS coordinates: 44.873966, 37.748420.
We hope you enjoy participating in an organized excursion (with an experienced guide from the “camp” of local history fans) or an independent trip to a picturesque corner, which is considered by the local population to be a “point of strength and grace.” You just need to take a minibus to the village of Gorny (from the last residential area of Novorossiysk, the path to the tunnel will be 16 minutes), and then walk several kilometers through a dense deciduous forest. They say that water collected from the Feodosiya spring gives everyone strength and health. Photos of the beauties described here are available on our website - make sure of their magnificence. However, travelers complain about crowds of beggars who regularly come to the temple. In conclusion, we offer a video about this Krasnodar shrine.
Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mineralnye Vody
The Church of the Intercession in the city of Mineralnye Vody was erected to replace the cathedral under the same name, which was completely destroyed during the years of Soviet power. Built by the whole world, this temple is now one of the main attractions of the Mineral Waters. The majestic Intercession Cathedral with nine domes surprises at the same time with its simplicity and canonical regular forms. Beautiful from the outside, it is also impressive from the inside with its magnificent decoration, four-tiered iconostasis and beautiful frescoes on the walls. The bells of the cathedral belfry sound very clear and beautiful.
Life of Theodosius of the Caucasus in Russia
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Theodosius of the Caucasus settled in an old house on the site of a destroyed monastery. Miracles accompanied him constantly - people came in an endless stream. He prayed for hours in the gorge, and was even honored with the appearance of the Mother of God, as the legend says. During revolutionary times (in the 20s), the elder was arrested. According to the testimony of his spiritual children, he told them to prepare for Easter, and he himself expected that they would come for him. And so it happened.
It is not known exactly where the elder stayed, perhaps on Solovki. He was gone for six years. Then he was released from prison and lived for a long time. In Mineralnye Vody he became known as the holy fool. He wore a bright shirt and ran with the kids. The people loved the kind old man very much.
Life of Theodosius
The exact date of birth of the saint and the circumstances of his life before he appeared in one of the monastic monasteries on Athos - where the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos is kept - are unknown. The brethren accepted him, soon the young man was ordained to the priesthood, and also had the right to take confession (in Greece this is not given to everyone; usually the confessor must gain experience). It was in 1897. Theodosius of the Caucasus was cultivating the land in the monastery with his brethren.
The Life of Theodosius of the Caucasus is compiled from various sources. It does not describe the exact reasons why he left the holy mountain. Father often traveled to Constantinople, where he closely communicated with his spiritual daughters. There, a small community formed around him, which the monastic authorities were dissatisfied with - it was customary for monks to live only on Athos.
One of his admirers in men's clothing came with Theodosius to Athos. After the exposure, a loud scandal and expulsion followed, as secular sources testify. The monk retired to Constantinople, where he lived for several years. Then he moved to the holy land, where he served near the Holy Sepulcher. There Saint Theodosius of the Caucasus met an influential official who persuaded him to return to Russia. Thus, the elder returned to Russia, stopping in the Caucasus.
Miracles
People from all over the country traveled to the deserts of Theodosius of the Caucasus - he healed many and gave instructions. But he refused to some - he ordered one woman to return home and leave her illegitimate husband. Only after that he promised to accept her. During the war years he also performed many miracles, which were narrated by his spiritual daughters.
- One day Theodosius of the Caucasus passed by wagons with ammunition. Eyewitnesses saw how he moved them to the side with the power of prayer. Later there was a raid and an enemy shell hit this place.
- During the German offensive, the elder took the children out of the kindergarten. It later came under fire, but no one was killed.
The saint also taught local children to read and write; they brought food instead of payment. He commanded his visitors to pray - to always recite the Jesus Prayer. After his departure to another world, people continued to come to the desert asking for help. In the 90s, the church decided to study the life of the ascetic, since he was revered by the people as a saint.
Relics
The relics of Theodosius of the Caucasus were raised in 1995. Today they are kept in Mineralnye Vody, in the Intercession Cathedral. Suffering people continue to come here and leave testimonies of help.
- Healing a child from diseases of the nervous system through prayer and after anointing with oil from the relics.
- The woman developed polyps that she had suffered from for many years.
- Help in selling an apartment.
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You can contact the monk for any need. A prayer and an akathist have been compiled for Saint Theodosius of the Caucasus - you can read it in front of the image at any time.
- Saint Luke Voino Yasenetsky
- Saint Job of Pochaev - read here
- Savva Storozhevsky -
