Holy places of Crimea: temples, places of pilgrimage, healing places

Crimea is one of the most magnificent places for tourists. Each person chooses it for rest for various reasons. They come here for the sake of beautiful nature, relaxing at sea, for medicinal purposes. But there are people who want to visit the Holy Places of Crimea. Pilgrimage here is quite a frequent occurrence. And the peninsula has such a rich and ancient history that representatives of different religions can find here holy places for themselves.

Cathedral in Chersonese

And to start studying them, probably, it would be worthwhile to visit the Ancient Chersonesos. His birth is attributed to the sixth century BC, during two millennia, during the times of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire, he was a great cultural center. The city played a big role in the spread of Christianity in Russia and other lands of the Eastern Slavs.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Chersonese is one of the earliest Christian centers in Russia. There is a suggestion that Prince Vladimir received holy baptism here, and at the place where the Cathedral is now located, Rus once was baptized. This is said in one of the oldest literary sources, "The Tale of Bygone Years." The ruins of three Christian churches were first discovered in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Cross-shaped basilica, according to historians of the time, was the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, in which an event occurred that changed the history of Russia.

Alexander II approved the project to restore the cathedral, and in 1861 laid the first stone of it. The walls of the temple were erected around the ruins of an ancient building. In place of the ancient remains made a font and placed the relics of Prince Vladimir, who were transported from the Small Church, located in the Winter Palace. In the cathedral the list of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Korsun was kept . In Soviet times, the temple was closed and handed over to the Chersonesus Museum, as well as all its utensils. Only in 1992 the cathedral was opened again.

Church of St. John

Continue to visit the holy places of Crimea can be in Kerch. They say that here is the oldest temple. It is called the Church of St. John the Baptist. According to historians, it was built around the eighth or eleventh century. This is the only Byzantine temple, preserved until our time. The most interesting thing is that it was at some time even a mosque. In Soviet times, it housed a museum of antiquity, and in the nineties, reopened.

Church of the Ascension of Christ

Another amazing temple, which is worth visiting, is the Foros Church, or the Church of the Ascension of Christ. This cathedral is unique - it was built on a steep rock. The altar in it does not look to the east, but to the sea.

This is peculiar to the temples on the southern coast of the Crimea. From the sea the church is clearly visible and is a beacon for ships.

In the year 1908, Emperor Alexander III fell into a railway accident and miraculously escaped. In honor of this, it was decided to erect the Church of the Ascension of Christ.

In Soviet times, the Foros Church did not function. During the war, border guards hid in it, it was fired by fascists. In the nineties the church was again given to believers, and it became operational.

The Holy Assumption Monastery

What other holy places are there in Crimea? Every year a huge number of pilgrims visit the Holy Assumption Monastery in Bakhchisaray. The uniqueness of his and eleven monasteries is that they are all cavemen. Are located on the rocks among the pristine nature, and only ruins and ancient fortress walls are sometimes nearby.

Among these, you can, for example, call "Chelter-Marmara." It is supposed that the monastery, most likely, existed here approximately from the twelfth to the fifteenth century. This is evidenced by excavations conducted in caves. But this is not accurate data. Scientists have not come to a consensus. Some pointed to the ninth century, which is being criticized by other archaeologists.

Chelter-Koba

Another interesting from the religious and archaeological point of view complex of premises - "Chelter-Koba". It is believed that the monastery existed and acted, according to V. Danilenko, from the eighth to the ninth century. Yu. Mogarychev also believes that this statement is erroneous. They attribute the existence of the cathedral to the period from the fourteenth to the fifteenth century.

Shuldan

The monastery of Christ the Savior "Shuldan" is located in Sevastopol. It consists of two cave temples and many business premises. Dating this monastery eighth century. Founded by his monks, who fled from Byzantium because of persecutions. It is assumed that they were from Athos. The monastery existed, most likely, until the fifteenth or sixteenth century before the Ottomans came to these places.

The town of Doros (Theodoro)

Extremely rich in historical and religious monuments and a mountain called Mangup. The most ancient archaeological finds date back to the era of the Eneolithic. As early as the third century of our era here settlements were located, already fortified. Then the population only arrived. In the fifth century, during the reign of Justinian I, a fortress was erected here and the city of Doros was founded. In the vicinity was located the country of Dori. In the tenth century the city fell into decay. Scientists attribute this to the earthquake that occurred during that period. Then the country around and the city itself was called Theodoro.

The complex of the cave monastery is also interesting here. It looks like a grotto where cells and a temple are on different sides. There, at Cape Teshkli-Burun, is located the Citadel of the Mungup princes, and behind it is an octagonal temple. Later the Turks turned it into a mosque. There is also nearby the Church of St. George and the Cathedral of St. Constantine. Scientists suggest that they existed until the seventeenth century. The Ottomans rebuilt and renamed the city. Until the end of the eighteenth century, a community of Karaites lived here. Whoever occupies the caves located on the territory of the peninsula, one, undoubtedly, one can say: these are the holy places of the Crimea.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

At the end of the twentieth century, the monastery complex was once again inhabited by monks. Now the Cathedral of the Annunciation is functioning here. Here, as well as many centuries ago, divine services are performed. This place is very revered by believers, and every year many pilgrims come here.

By the way, here is a miraculous icon of Our Lady of the Skoroposlushnitsa, which helps to fight various diseases. So, those who want to visit the holy places of the Crimea, who heal people, can come here.

One of the most revered by believers is the monastery of St. Anastasia the Oozreshitelnitsy. He is especially known because there was a healing source here. They say that even many Crimean Tatars, who were healed in this place, converted to Christianity.

Temple of St. Panteleimon

Continuing the journey to holy places that heal people, one can visit the temple of the Holy Great Martyr and healer Panteleimon. This cathedral is located on the territory of the children's sanatorium named after AA Bobrov. It was built in 191. In 1923, with the advent of the revolution, it was closed. In 1991, it was reopened. Now the sick again can turn to the saints with a request for healing.

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Genoese fortress

Infertile families are strongly recommended to visit the Holy Places of Crimea, helping to get pregnant. This is the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, which is located in Simferopol.

This is one of the temples, which was lucky to remain active in the Soviet years. The cathedral is cathedral. He gained special fame and veneration thanks to Saint Luka, a professor of medicine, a doctor who, in recent years, gave himself up to religion. Once honored with the Stalin Prize for his scientific works, he subsequently spent 11 years in prison and exile for his attitude to religion. In the last years of his life he was the archbishop of Simferopol and the Crimea. Now at the cathedral is a nunnery, the inhabitants of which opened the museum of St. Luke. It is considered that it is St. Luke who fulfills the desire of infertile women to become pregnant.

In addition, there is an opinion that these girls should tie a ribbon on the tree of desires in the Genoese fortress and visit a stalactite similar in shape to the heart that can be found in the Red Caves.

No less interesting for believers is the temple in the cave Iograf. He is in Yalta. Instead of the destroyed temple of the Holy Martyr Evgraf, they decided to build a new one. And they decided to build it in another place. We built it in Yalta. It was called the Temple of St. John Chrysostom. It has a tall and slender white bell tower with a golden dome. Now the cave of Iograf once again became a temple.

Church in the name of Saints Constantine and Helena. St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Visiting the Holy Places of Crimea, you can recall other temples that are in Simferopol. For example, the church in the name of Saints Constantine and Helena. It was opened in the house, which the commander of Russian troops bought from the Crimean Tatar. All the time, while the Russian troops were lodging there, the church worked. The interesting thing is that the temple of architecture is completely different from the others. It is said that Catherine II, who visited Crimea at the time, prayed here. Apparently this is what gave her the idea of building the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. This is another interesting place in the Crimea. The temple was built only in 1829. It served exactly one hundred years, after which it was, like many of the temples of the Soviet era, closed. In one thousand nine hundred and thirtieth year it was blown up and in its place the square was smashed. Only at the beginning of the twenty-first century began the construction of its restoration. Now the temple is almost finished.

Other cathedrals

One of the main temples of Simferopol was also Petropavlovsky, built in the early nineteenth century. It, like most of the cathedrals, was closed in Soviet times. At the present time the temple is functioning again.

On the site of the former Greek gymnasium with a small church in our time, the Holy Trinity convent was opened. Inside the temple is decorated with the image of the evangelists and the image of the Lord.

The Church of the Three Saints is interesting because here in the nineteenth century a spiritual seminary was opened and worked. The educational institution taught not only theology, but also a lot of scientific knowledge.

The highest church in Crimea is the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It is located in the village of Malorechenskoye. It is an active temple. Is a temple-beacon. As it is visible far from the sea. It is part of the memorial dedicated to all those who died at sea. The height of the temple is sixty-five meters, and there is a lighthouse in the tower. The ground floor is occupied by a museum of catastrophes on the waters. At the stands it contains information about the largest and most resonant catastrophes.

Conclusion

Now you know the holy places of the Crimea. In addition to Christian and Orthodox, the peninsula has a huge number of centers of other religions, no less interesting. They belong to Muslims, Karaites, Jews and representatives of other faiths.