Trinity Kholkovsky Monastery is located in the Belgorod region in the Chernyansky district, near the village of Kholki. This is the only cave monastery on the territory of the Belgorod region, which is currently operating. We will talk about this unique Christian complex, the history of its appearance and features in this article.
History of the monastery
According to legend, the Kholkovsky Monastery is located exactly at the place where Prince Igor Svyatoslavich and his brother Vsevolod met before going on a campaign against the Polovtsy in 1185. This hypothesis is supported by quite a lot of scientists, as there is evidence for this.
Kholkovsky Trinity Monastery is mentioned for the first time in the annals of 1620. It is described as above ground, having a wooden temple, but later rebuilt and consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Later it was called Nikolsky, and then St. Trotsky. Father Gelasius became the first abbot of the monastery.
Extensionmonastery
In the middle of the 17th century, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich granted the abbot of the Kholkovo monastery a letter, according to which the monastery has the right to own a mill built by monks, without paying dues.
The monastery has long been known for its underground temple and caves that were carved into the chalk. However, there is no information about who exactly created these caves. It is not known whether the monks cut them down, or whether they already existed before the foundation of the monastery. The only thing all researchers agree on is that the caves were made to live in.
Due to the fact that the Russian lands were periodically attacked by the Tatars, on the highest hill next to the monastery in 1666 a “gesture gatehouse” was erected. It served to monitor the surroundings and the Belgorod defensive line.
Monastery in the XVII-XVIII centuries
In 1757, a wooden chapel was erected in front of the entrance to the cave. Later, it was significantly expanded and made into a gate church. Seven years later, following the Manifesto on the withdrawal of monastery lands, signed by Catherine II, the Kholkovsky Monastery was abolished.
Since 1764, all services for the remaining parishioners began to be held in the Intercession Church, which remained from the monastery. This church was above ground, and the cave lower temple was abandoned.
The main temple of the monastery - Preobrazhensky - shortly before the abolition of the monastery was dismantled to rebuild it in a new place. However, it has not been possible to restore it. At the beginningXIX century, Prince A. B. Golitsyn, at his own expense, made an attempt to restore the Kholkovsky Monastery (primarily the cave temple and the caves themselves), but he failed to do this.
Monastery in the 20th century
In the period from 1890 to 1920, a new cave appeared on the territory of a half-abandoned monastery, which today is called the “cave of Elder Nikita”. It was carved in chalk by a native of these places, a hermit Nikita Bychkov.
In Soviet times, the monastery was abandoned and fell into complete disrepair. It was only in 1990 that great interest began to be shown to the crumbling caves. An interesting fact: the first to do this was a former employee of the district committee, who quit his job and came with the clear goal of restoring the Kholkov Monastery in the Belgorod Region.
He and his friends began to dismantle the cave rubble. Gradually, other enthusiasts began to join this small group of people, which made it possible to sort out the rubble in record time. So, in just three months, the caves and the temple were completely freed from collapsed rock. On the Orthodox feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God, the Kholkovsky caves were solemnly opened to visitors.
Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, the historical monument was saved, moreover, it became one of the branches of the local history museum of the region, therefore, it was taken under state protection. After a short period of time, excursions began to be organized to these places.
Holy Trinity Kholkovsky Monastery. Withers
As a monastery, this monument began its revival in1995, when divine services began to be held again in the cave church. Two years later, new temples of the resurgent monastery are being laid - this is the Church of St. Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves, the temple in the name of the Don Icon of the Mother of God, as well as the chapel of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus.
At the end of December 1998, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to officially restore the Holy Trinity Monastery. Currently, the monastery is active, the cave temple and cells have been restored almost in their original form. Divine services are also held in elevated temples, which were built quite recently.
Carved iconostases are installed in the churches of the monastery, there are writings of various saints. Unfortunately, the old works of icon painting masters have not been preserved, but even those that were transferred to the monastery by other churches admire their beauty.
Unforgettable experiences
The lands of Belgorod and the region have a rich and long history. Many ancient buildings have been preserved here. Once in these parts and visiting various sights, you should definitely go to the Kholkovsky Monastery.
This unique abode was able to survive to this day in its original form, which is quite surprising, given its age. By visiting the monastery, you can not only learn, but also better understand how the people of that time lived, how difficult it was for them.
This monastery is not only a monument of history and architecture, butand has a kind of energy. Everyone who has been here talks about the unforgettable experience that these amazing places gave them.
