Holy caves with a visit to the former St. Nicholas Monastery

Amazing Orthodox shrines are located everywhere in Russia. One of these places is in the Orenburg region. These are the Holy Caves, which are located in St. Nicholas Monastery.

Traditions connect the history of their creation with a mystical sign that was revealed to the residents of the village of Pokrovka in the XIX century. It was a pillar of divine fire going to heaven. At the same time, the Cossack Zakhari Kartsev received a revelation, following which he founded a monastery in this place in 1896.

It was he who became the first builder of the Holy Caves, and later took tonsure and changed his worldly name to Zosima. He continued to live as a hermit, but gradually a small community of monks formed around him, who also sought salvation in solitude, labor and prayer. By 1912, the number had reached 25. With prayer and reverence, they were digging caves, arranged on the same principle as the famous Kiev-Pechersk.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a temple, a prayer house, a residential building for the brethren and a house for the reception of strangers were already built in the monastery.

With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the life of the monks changed. In 29-31, the monastery was finally destroyed, and the entrance to the caves was blocked and lost.

In 2001, a 10-year search for unique caves was crowned with success. Now visitors can see not only them, but also the remains of the temple foundation. To commemorate the revival of the holy place under the mountain again hammered Nikolsky spring. There is a bath next to it. It is planned to build a new cathedral church.

The caves again became a place of pilgrimage for pilgrims and tourists. Take a trip to this holy place with the travel agency “Native Spaces”.