Svyatogorskaya Svyato-Uspenskaya Lavra

Svyato-Uspensky Svyatogorsky Monastery is one of the main Orthodox relics in the east of Ukraine. It was founded on the right bank of the river Severskiy Donets in the place which in ancient times was called Holly Hills. The first mention of this monastery was in 1624.

The history of this dwelling place roots into far centuries ago. One of the existing versions connects the origin of the monastery with Byzantine monks who tried to escape Emperor's persecution. Some of the monks hid in the Crimea and some of them founded many cave monasteries on the banks of the Don and the Severskiy Donets which exist at present.

The legend, written down in the XIX century, connects Holy Hills with Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra. It tells that some Pechersk monks left for Holy Hills after Baty-Khan ravaged Kiev. Some researchers suppose that during the hard times of Turkish dominion many monks left Holy Mountain Afon and came to this place. The first record of Holy Hills appeared in the first half of the XVI century.

This dwelling place suffered greatly of Crimean Tatars' ravage in the XVII century and defended Rus Orthodox from Polish who tried to take it a prison. Svyatogorskaya dwelling had suffered all the horror of Baty-Khan and Tamerlan times. People from the whole Russian south came here to glorify God.

In spite of such hard life conditions, the dwelling place has not become desolate, in those times it became the stronghold of Orthodox supporters and the base of many settlers from Zadneprovsk Ukraine, who tried to escape the oppression of Catholics and members of Uniat church with the aim to save the purity of Orthodox belief.

During the rein of Yekaterina II the dwelling was abolished, but even though big crowds of people came there on its patron saint's days. The eagerness of simple peasants to Svyatogorsk desert became the main factor for its renewal. Dwelling's prosperity is connected with its renewal in 1844. Thanks to hard work of the superior and monks the dwelling became one of the biggest monasteries of Russian Empire within 70 years (1844 - 1914).

Since 1917 the monastery suffered many plunders, abuses and contaminations of holy things, beating and killing of the monks. In 1922 the monastery was closed again and the rest home was opened in its building.

In 1992 Svyatogorsk dwelling opened its door for believers in 1992. It should be mentioned that Father-Superior John (Streltsov), the elder who possessed many blessed gifts, foretold the rebirth and flourishing of Svyatogorsk dwelling.

At present Svyato-Uspensky Svyatogorsky Monastery is the biggest spiritual center of Donbas, Slobodskaya Ukraine and the south of Russia. The monastery is well-known far beyond Donetsk region, about 10 - 12 thousand pilgrims from Ukraine, Russia and Byelorussia come here during the holidays.

On the 29th of December in 2003 the buildings and lands, which the monastery owned since early history, were transmitted to it. There are 54 bells on the 5 monastery belfries, the biggest one weighs more than 6 tons.