Belogorsk Monastery: Cave Town of Podonya
The snow-white chalk mountains, at the foot of which Father-Don splashes, hide entire underground cities. And the largest of the cave monasteries of the Middle Podonya is the Belogorsk Resurrection Monastery.
The tradition of catacomb temples goes back to the first centuries of Christianity. The ascetic spirit of asceticism fell to the liking of the Russian people. Almost immediately after the adoption of Christianity, caves of hermits began to appear in Russia, which later grew into monasteries. The first appeared the future Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Then there were dozens of other houses.
When the catacomb temples appeared in Podonya, it is not known for certain. Archaeologists date them to the first centuries of our era. After a few hundred years, Christians left this place. Newly inhabited the dungeons already modern ascetics - in the late XVIII - early XIX century.
Currently, most of the underground temples and caves of ascetics (more than 40) are in the Voronezh region. Among them, the most famous is the Belogorsk Resurrection Monastery.
This is a real underground city! Four tiers of underground galleries, whose length no one counted. Officially, the figure of 2.2 km is voiced, but one should immediately make a reservation: these are only the two upper tiers along which you can freely pass. However, no one will let you on the lower half-burdened floors: monks who conduct excursions, carefully watch that no one remains in the dungeons. Because you can wander here for weeks.
According to legend, the first Belogorsk cave was excavated by a certain Maria Sherstyukova at the end of the XVIII century. For the sake of objectivity, historians doubt that Mary dug the caves herself, which is too much work for a woman. They probably cleaned up what was already there.
Having settled in the dungeon, the Cossack widow begged her sins. Then people began to pray for him. So there was a cave brotherhood, which in 1866 was transformed into a hermitage of the Assumption Divnogorsk monastery. 16 years later, in 1882, the Resurrection Belogorsk Assumption Monastery appeared.
Above the expanses of the Don towered a majestic cathedral in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. It was consecrated in 1915. Every year, 20–30 thousand pilgrims came to the monastery. They were mainly peasants from the surrounding villages, southern Russia, as well as the territory of modern Ukraine. According to eyewitnesses, there were so many people that in warm weather the entire slope near the monastery was a continuous camp. People were sitting, lying, sleeping, snacking. Rested, gaining strength before the road home.
In the spring of 1918 a group of Bolsheviks came to the monastery. They took from the monks the liturgical utensils of silver, and the brethren themselves were severely beaten. It was the beginning of the end. The monastery was finally closed in 1922. The beautiful Sunday Cathedral was blown up in 1931. Now on the site of a majestic temple is a grass-grown glade. Only recently has the foundation of its altarpiece been excavated.
Mary will find grace with God
The Holy Monastery is an icon of the Mother of God “Mary find grace from God.” It was brought to Belogorye from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra by one of the strangers in the 1830s. Almost immediately she was revered as miraculous, for she had many cures even for the hopeless sick. There are many cases when bedridden patients rose to their feet, blind people saw. One could often see women praying to the Queen of Heaven for a child.
In 1918, the icon disappeared. Years later, the brethren of the restored monastery tried to find at least a description or photograph of the miraculous image. Only in 2007, a reproduction was found, which allowed to imagine what the icon looked like.
A miracle happened in 2012. One of the Russian collectors became interested in the unusual iconography of the image, which had no description in any of the specialized antique collections. He began to search for information, and so he discovered the shrine of the Belogorsk monastery. Returning the miraculous icon was a matter of honor for him.
He bought it from a private collection, and then Voronezh entrepreneurs acquired from him the image for the diocese. In the autumn of 2012, the icon was in the capital of the Black Earth. With great honors, the procession carried her through the city. After some time in Voronezh, the image returned to his native monastery. Unfortunately, today his reproduction can not be found in any Voronezh temple. It affects the fact that he was recently discovered and has not yet become widely known in his homeland. willing buy an icon “Mary find grace with God” is sent to the icon-painting workshop “Creating a legacy”. Here it can be made to order.
Belogorje today
The monastery is now being restored. In the early 2000s, the caves began to be cleared. On September 12, 2004, on the feast day of Prince Alexander Nevsky, the first liturgy was celebrated. This day was not chosen by chance: the underground temple, where divine services are now held, was consecrated in honor of this saint.
In 2005, the first inhabitants appeared here. Initially, Belogorye was one of the hermitages of the Divnogorsk Assumption Monastery. The monastery received independence only on October 2, 2013.
Pilgrims are always welcome here. And not just because they provide substantial financial support. The state of the surrounding roads is such that the entire spring-autumn muddy monastery is literally cut off from the outside world. They live here as if on an island. Visitors are welcomed with sincere hospitality.
The brethren will definitely show the surroundings of the monastery, will spend on the famous dungeons.
It is best to come to the Resurrection Belogorsky Monastery in warm weather: from April to October. At this time, when navigation is open, you can swim from Pavlovsk to Belogorye by boat. A half-hour trip turns into a pleasant walk: you never get tired of admiring the beauty of the chalk slopes, reflected in the quiet surface of Father Don.
You come back every time from Belogoria as a transformed person. The beauty of these places, from which you want to laugh and cry at the same time, fills the soul with delight. The warm reception of the brethren warms, and the strict beauty of worship lifts up to heaven. Inside is peace, joy and true happiness.