The bead temple of Anastasia the Soliton in Crimea is one of a kind. This is a small rock monastery that has existed in Bakhchisarai for many centuries with interruptions. He is famous for bead jewelry made by the hands of monks and parishioners. Everything here is saturated with a special atmosphere, and man-made beauty is harmoniously combined with spiritual beauty. The temple belongs to the Holy Assumption Monastery of Bakhchisarai.
Location
Where is the Beaded Temple in the Crimea? It is located in the cave city of Kachi Kalon, on the slope of Mount Fitzki, at an altitude of about one hundred and fifty meters in the Tash-Air gorge in the Bakhchisarai district. To facilitate a steep climb, the monks stacked old car tires and then cemented them. It took a lot of work. In total there are more than six hundred tires. The monks on the rocks managed to plant flowers, a garden and grow a beautiful garden.
Description
The bead temple in Crimea is made in a cave carved in limestone. Such walls are very damp, they do not hold painting. An original way out of this difficult situation was found - all jewelry is made of beads. All panels and compositions are also made of it.
The vault is decorated with a star of Bethlehem and a Byzantine cross of incredible beauty. Lamps, of which there are 65, are decorated with beads. Of these, there are not even two whose pattern would be identical. There are no windows at all in the Bead Temple in Crimea. The room is lit by candles and lamps. Their flame is reflected in many beads and creates fancy shadows on the walls and ceiling of the temple. It creates the effect of a warm summer night. It took about three years to decorate the parish.
In the temple are stasidia. These are wooden chairs with a high back and armrests. The stasidia seats are folding. The Ten Commandments are beaded on their backs. These monks are supported by elderly monks at night during worship.
History
Accurate information about the emergence of the Bead Temple of Anastasia the Decisive in the Crimea, unfortunately, has not been preserved. There is an assumption that in the sixth-eighth centuries, monks settled here who fled from Constantinople due to church persecution. They built a rock monastery here, which was later destroyed by an earthquake. Then, in different centuries, the monks periodically returned to this place.
The settlement existed until the eighteenth century with great interruptions. How the monks cut down their cells here, no one knows. Even today, with the help of modern technology, it is very difficult to do this in such a solid rock. The monks who currently live in the monastery tried to reproduce such cells, but they did not succeed.
In 1778, most Christians were forced to leave Crimea, as a result of which the holy place was abandoned for many years. In the nineteenth century, the restoration of Orthodox churches and monasteries of the Crimea took up St. Innocent. As a result of his activities, the monastery was revived, its territory acquired a well-groomed appearance. The road was laid and the church of St. Anastasia was built.
Monastery today
In 1932, the Soviet authorities closed the monastery. The territory was declared a reserve. Only in 2005 the temple was restored again. Monk Dorofei and his like-minded people put a lot of effort into this. A new church of St. Anastasia was arranged in the cave, and the church received the name Biserny from the parishioners. The monks settled in the cells. They lived here and prayed. Building materials and water were carried on themselves. It was very hard work.
Today, everyone can not only admire the monastery, but also get acquainted with its life. At the moment, several monks live on its territory. Parishioners help them, and many specially come here and take part in chores. Here fruits and vegetables are grown, cows are bred and cottage cheese and cheese are made. The monastery garden is quite unusual. All plants grow in iron barrels. The parish also has its own bakery, where bread, buns and prosphora for services are baked.
A hotel was built near the monastery. Pilgrims and everyone who wants to help the monastery with their labor can stop there. People who once visited this holy place come here with gifts and ask their friends about it. They bring beads, old jewelry, sea stones, unusual buttons. Everything will find its application here.
Entrance to the territory of the parish is free, everyone can visit it without exception. Tourists can purchase icons and various handicrafts, including bead creations: paintings, crosses, plates with the faces of saints. All things are created with prayer and preserve the spirit of the monastery. Here you can buy handmade soap with the addition of mountain herbs, aromatic oils.
On the territory of the monastery is a holy spring. Monks are asked to respect him.
The path to the Bead Temple in the Crimea is very difficult, it takes about half an hour and is called the "way of sinners". Facilitates the ascent only that you have to go in the shade of small trees.
The temple is truly unique. It helps to get acquainted with the history and culture of the peninsula. It will be interesting to visit a bead temple in Crimea for both believers and ordinary tourists.
Holy Great Martyr
Anastasia the Painter, in whose honor the Bead Temple in the Crimea is named, was born in Rome. Her father was a pagan, and her mother secretly professed the Christian faith. Anastasia accepted her religion and dedicated herself to God. The girl was beautiful, but refused all the grooms, vowing virginity.
Having learned about her religion, the pagans put her before a choice: renunciation of religion or death. The girl chose the last. The executioner tried to abuse Anastasia, but instead he suddenly went blind and died. The girl was tortured and burned at the stake.
Anastasia the Patternerer is recognized as a saint. During her lifetime, she helped those who ended up in prison for their faith. The girl found words of comfort for everyone. That is why she was called the Decreeder.
In front of the icon of St. Anastasia, prisoners pray for speedy release, but not those who committed mortal sin. Their relatives can also ask for help. People who want to strengthen their faith or ask for deliverance from illnesses also turn to it. The saint also protects pregnant women.
Fire
On January 28, 2018, a fire occurred on the territory of the monastery. Many buildings were destroyed by fire. Thanks to the help of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, it was possible to put out the fire and save the lives of people. Cells, warehouses and a refectory kitchen were affected. Only a few days later, the monks and parishioners were able to recover from their experiences and begin to analyze the rubble.
Help came from all over the vast Russia. Restoration work began to boil rapidly. Quickly erected new wooden buildings and began to equip them. Monks and parishioners took on more difficult work, and pilgrims assigned light work.
The bead temple in the Crimea in Bakhchisarai, fortunately, did not suffer from fire. In addition, next to him, the construction of a new church in the name of the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary "Three Hands" has begun. The construction is attended by visitors from different parts of Russia and even from some countries of the former Soviet Union. After completing all the work, the monastery will become even more beautiful and unusual.
How to get there
To the Bead Temple in the Crimea can be reached from Simferopol by car. First you need to reach Bakhchisaray, from there turn towards Sevastopol and head towards the village of Preduschelnoe, following the sign on the highway. At a distance of one and a half kilometers from the village, you should park in the area of Kachi-Kalon and climb the mountain. Or drive to the village, turn off at the House of Culture and go up four kilometers by car up the road. So you don’t have to overcome a steep slope on foot.
The second option is public transport. You need to get to the Zapadnaya bus station in Simferopol. Every hour a bus leaves from here to Bakhchisarai. Next, go to the minibus, which moves towards the village of Sinapnoye and get off at the Kachi-Kalon stop. The journey from Simferopol will take more than two hours, and from Bakhchisarai - about thirty minutes.
Bead temple in Crimea: reviews
According to tourists, this is exactly the place where you can get peace and tranquility. The monastery conquers with its harmony, beauty, accuracy and unusual decoration. Visitors are admired by the talent and skill of those who created such a beautiful decoration of the Bead Temple in Crimea. There are no negative reviews. Only the difficulty of a steep climb to the mountain is noted.
Recommendations for tourists
People who have visited the holy place are advised to dress in comfortable clothes that hide their arms and shoulders. Shoes should be adapted for a long climb up the mountain. It is recommended to cover the head to avoid sunstroke.
You should take a bottle of water, which you can drink on the way to the temple, and then fill it from the source. The camera is also useful, as there will certainly be a desire to take pictures of picturesque views as a keepsake.
It is recommended that you take some money with you to donate to the temple and purchase various gizmos in the church shop, as well as delicious monastery kvass, insisted on raisins and having a unique taste. At the entrance, you should buy a bag in which a note is inserted with desire. The monks will hang him on a column.
In the Beaded Temple in Crimea, it is worth visiting both believers who can pray to St. Anastasia and tourists. After all, there is no other way to see such beauty all over the world. The Bead Temple is one of a kind.