It has long been known that success in any business depends on two components: hard work and good rest. Sometimes in a person’s life there comes a moment when, to distract from the problems and bustle of the outside world, one beach and the warm sun are not enough. I want something more, to relax not only with my body, but also to feel peace in my soul. In search of peace, many come to the picturesque village of Kostomarovo. Voronezh region, the map of which is presented in the article, is replete with beautiful landscapes. But some of the areas deserve special attention. It is about one of these places that will be discussed later.
Location
The village of Kostomarovo (Voronezh region) is spread among the chalk cliffs of the Don Belogorye. It passes along the Central Russian Upland. The village is located on the Don river (a map of the Voronezh region will allow you to navigate this issue). Here are the chalk pillars of the remnants, colloquially called Divas, which were formed as a result of erosion. And along the girder and river slopes, the entrances to the famous complex of Kostomarovsky caves gap. The most picturesque place of the Central Russian Upland is the high sections of the right bank, known as the Don Belogorye. The height of the chalk cliffs on the right bank of the Don reaches 242 m. There are 8 caves on the slopes of the Kostomarovskaya beam at a short distance from each other. Most of them are cut in small marl rocks. At the base of the divas are the entrances to the cave church in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Spassky temple, to the nearby cell and the cave collapsed next to the diva.
The cloister of the world
To find peace and feel the serenity of silence, it is not necessary to go to the mountains of Tibet. Seven hundred kilometers from the capital of our country, not far from Divnogorye, there is an Orthodox Russian pearl - Spassky Monastery in Kostomarovo, Voronezh Region. According to legend, the first ancient Christians came here in the VIII century. The unique beauty of the Don region inspired them to create a monastery of self-improvement and peace of mind. It was here, hiding from persecution, in ancient times, hermits found peace. Later, during the church union in Ukraine, refugee monks settled in chalk caves. Then they founded the Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery, which was originally used as a cell in the Belogorodsky Monastery. The architecture of the caves is closely intertwined with the motives of the local nature. Cretaceous pillars, caves and lands dried up by the rays of the scorching sun - all this, united in a single landscape, resembles the holy places of Christianity - Palestine, Tabor, Calvary, Gethsemane ...
History of development
Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery lasted 7 centuries. During the revolution in 1917 it was closed. But despite this, part of the clergy remained to live in caves. Their last inhabitant was the elder Peter (Eremeenko), now glorified as a holy martyr in the guise of saints. Before the start of World War II, he was sent to prison, within the walls of which the monk died. In wartime, caves were used as bomb shelters. Then, after the Victory, the Spassky Monastery was opened for residents of local neighborhoods as a temple. However, soon due to the Khrushchev persecution of the church, it was again closed. The reason for this was an unsatisfactory assessment of the conditions existing in the monastery. The Commission considered them not meeting sanitary standards. The local population also belonged to the monastery with open hostility: church buildings were burned, some chalk pillars were destroyed, ancient icons were used by children instead of ice. The Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery was officially returned to the Russian Orthodox Church 80 years after the end of the October Revolution. The restoration of the holy monastery was carried out by three nuns - Joasaph, Seraphim, Dionysius. On their own, they revived the old, destroyed temples, built a new one, and also took care of the road and the hotel for pilgrims.
Visit Features
You can get to the village of Kostomarovo (Voronezh) from Moscow through Liski, where the Divnogorye Museum-Reserve is located in the open air. Several trains from the Kursk and Kazan stations go to the city. From Liski - by bus, train or taxi (approximate cost - 400 rubles). To visit the monastery, women are supposed to wear a long skirt, which you can get right at the entrance to the monastery. There is also a water column with a small belfry.
Church of the Savior of the Miraculous Image
The gaze of the arriving pilgrims and tourists from far away attracts the visible silhouette of the majestic cathedral. The entrance to it is formed by two limestone mountains, crowned with gold and crimson domes and a belfry between them. In summer, when church crosses shine in the rays of the bright sun against the azure sky, chalk divas look especially impressive. The entire Cathedral of the Savior of the Miraculous Image is located under a steep chalk cliff and invariably impresses with its size - it can simultaneously accommodate about 2 thousand parishioners. The ceiling of the temple is held by several columns of 12-meter height. Behind the cathedral is the chapel of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia. You can get there through an open passage. Next are the brotherly tomb, reclusive cell and chapel. Tours of the cathedral are conducted by the nuns themselves. Here you can see the Valaam icon of the Mother of God. Even today, traces of the shots that were received by the shrine during the years of persecution of the church are visible on it.
Voronezh region Caves
The entrances to small grottoes in which the monks once lived are scattered along the mountainside. During the revival of the monastery they were strengthened and restored. However, today mold is already appearing on the surface of walls covered with putty. Of particular interest are the caves of the pillars, which are tiny vertical corners in which it is impossible to lie or sit. To humble their flesh, the monks could be in them for several years. For the duration of sleep, they strengthened their body with hooks driven into the wall.
Temple in the name of Seraphim of Sarov
This cathedral in Kostomarovo (Voronezh region) was founded relatively recently - at the beginning of the XX century. As a rule, there is nobody here during the day. At this time, you can come and pray alone. The rocky roof of the temple was chosen by swallows ...
Cave of repentance
Another attraction on the territory of the monastery of the village of Kostomarovo (Voronezh region) is the Cave of Penance. It is located at the end of the Pilgrimage Trail and is a narrow long tunnel, on the walls of which hang icons and illuminate the path of candles. As you move forward, the ceiling gradually decreases so that those who walk on it can once again bow their heads before the Lord. The tunnel exit is located in the cell, where before the monks accepted the confession of the parishioners. Before the revolution, people with especially grave sin came here with repentance, and after confession, the monks appointed them penance.
Other shrines
The Spassky Monastery is located on the side of a mountain called Golgotha. At its very top there is a large cross with which a long tradition is associated. It was believed that if a note with a cherished desire was placed in its slot, it would certainly be fulfilled. But today, at the request of the nuns, notes are left on the windowsills of the chapel of the Crucifixion located nearby.
The youngest church in the monastery is the Recovery of the Dead, consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God. It was built under the auspices of the local bishop at the very foot of Mount Calvary. It is here that the Kostomarov Icon of the Mother of God is stored, painted by Shokorev at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In winter, church services are held. The monastery is far from the only attraction of Kostomarovo. Voronezh region can boast of other, no less interesting corners. Two kilometers from this amazing, spiritually rich place, on the very bank of the Don, the
holy spring beats
, which was dedicated to the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. In the town of Liski there is a huge reserve "Divnogorye" with cave Divas and a monastery.