“I sailed to Quiet Pine and saw the pillars of white stone, marvelously and red standing next to me, as if the pillars were small, white and bright, above the river above Pine.”- this is how I described these Beautiful places a clerk who accompanied Metropolitan Pimen on a trip that visited the lands that are today called the Voronezh region at the end of the 14th century.
Long before Pimen’s arrival, several million years ago, an endless expanse of water stretched in these places, at the bottom of which chalk deposits slowly but surely formed. A grain of sand was added to a grain of sand, and the water squeezed them together more and more. The receding water was replaced by strong winds and those grains of sand that did not have time to adhere strongly enough were scattered over the ground. And the rest became Divas - this is what the locals called the chalk pillars that rise above the chalk hills and endless steppes along the Don and blind the eyes with their whiteness. Divas, from the word “wonderful, wonderful”, because other than a miracle of nature, this place cannot be called.
Today the height of the hills does not exceed 30 meters, but the area is proudly called Divnogorsk. Even though the local hills can only dream of the laurels of the Urals and Elbrus region, in their many kilometers of depth they keep sights that are amazing for central Russia - cave monasteries. They began to be dug at the beginning of the 18th century by a local resident, who considered this place secluded enough for prayer and repentance. Chalk turned out to be a very malleable material, and soon many residents of the surrounding villages began to build themselves small individual caves for conversations with the Almighty. Some became hermits and remained to live in these caves, which gradually turned into multi-level monastic complexes of quite impressive size. And inside there is still that same pristine silence, as if the hill still lies at the bottom of the ancient sea.
Holy Dormition Divnogorsk Monastery
The Divnogorsk Assumption Monastery is perhaps the oldest of the three cave monasteries built in the chalk deposits of the Voronezh region. Although scientists are still arguing about the founding dates of all three. They say that the first monks came here along with the Don Cossacks, who were sent to guard the local borders from Tatar raids. On the high bank, where the fast waters of the Don merge with the quiet Sosnaya River, the first settlers built a church in one of the pillars, and a chapel in the next one. Then several wooden buildings and even several cannons appeared, the monks were so afraid of uninvited visits from not only nomads, but also local wandering thieves. Both of them periodically burned buildings, but the monks persistently restored them. Gradually, life in the monastery improved, especially after Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself granted the most merciful permission to install a water mill on the territory of the monastery, which was not subject to rent. Another one was given to the monks by a local noble dowager, and over a hundred years the Divnogorsk Assumption Monastery turned into the richest monastery in these parts. The monastery was in the favor of Peter I and in the disgrace of Catherine II, and the Bolsheviks drowned its famous library here, in the waters of the Don. However, this monastery is famous to this day not only for its rich history, but also for the miraculous icon of the Sicilian Mother of God, which was miraculously discovered on one of the pillars during construction. The church named after her today is the only surviving cave building of the monastery complex. Now the church rather resembles the dilapidated skeleton of an ancient knight's tower, which, by the will of the master, was repainted White color. It stands out brightly on the hill, and from its base you can climb up to a panoramic platform, to the top of a 180-meter mountain, from where you can see the surrounding steppe expanses and the valley of the Sosna River. Being at the top of the mountain, you can hear an unusual echo from your feet when walking on a chalk mountain, inside of which there are voids.
Active monastery
Year founded: 1653
How to get there
Voronezh region, Liskinsky district, village of Divnogorye
GPS coordinates: 50.979775, 39.317331
From the Voronezh station to the Liski station, then the Liski-Ostrogozhsk or Liski-Alekseevka station to the Divnogorie platform
Highway M-4 “Don”, 60 km from Voronezh in the direction of Liski. From Liski across the bridge to the village of Pukhova, the second turn across the railway to the village of Selyavnoye and follow the signs to the Divnogorye Museum. The parking lot is located a few hundred meters from the monastery.
Belogorsky Resurrection Monastery
The Belogorsky Resurrection Monastery was founded by a woman, a local resident, who received a blessing for monastic work in Belogorye. She and several of her devotees began to very energetically excavate inside the chalk pillars. It is said that as a result, about two kilometers of caves were excavated. However, her fellow villagers did not really like the woman’s activities, but history is silent about why. But it is known for certain that the dispute about the need to create a temple in these places was resolved by Tsar Alexander I himself, giving the poor woman a considerable monetary reward for her efforts. In his honor, the owner of the chalk tunnels dug a real cave temple, giving it the name of Alexander Nevsky, the tsar’s patron. Soon the woman died, and the built monastery became a man's monastery. Gradually, the architects gave all the buildings a Byzantine look, which emphasized the natural bright white chalk walls as best as possible. Throughout the 19th century, there was a school for boys, where the rector himself taught. However, with the arrival Soviet power all historical buildings were completely destroyed. According to local legend, all the Bolsheviks who participated in the destruction of the ancient shrine suddenly died from a rare and terrible disease. The caves served as a reliable shelter for local partisans during the Great Patriotic War, and in our time, monks have returned here and are painstakingly restoring what was lost. Today, the Belogorye caves are considered the largest monastic dungeon in Russia, created artificially.
Active monastery
Founded: 1796
How to get there
Voronezh region, Podgorensky district, Belogorye village, Kirpichi village
GPS coordinates: 50.471008, 40.036454
From the Voronezh railway station to the Podgornoye station, then by any bus to Pavlovsk. You need to get off before reaching Pavlovsk, in the village of Belogorye.
Highway M-4 “Don”, from Voronezh, about 15 km before reaching Pavlovsk, turn right to Belogorye, and then to the Kirpichi farm about 3 km.
Spassky Cave Monastery in Kostomarovo
With the Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery, history did exactly the opposite: the monastery founded by Little Russian monks gradually became female. No one knows for certain when the first caves appeared in these places and who the first builders were. There is a version that these places are much more ancient than official sources say. Therefore, the most stubborn historians are still looking here for the most ancient monastery, from which Orthodoxy spread throughout Rus'. But there is a completely different opinion: since ancient times, these caves were chosen by Don robbers, led by the famous Kostomar, who drowned in the local lake. Was named after him rich settlement Kostomarovo. The history of the monastery cannot be called very bright and interesting, compared even with the two neighboring cave monasteries. However, on its territory, both deep inside and on the surface, there are three very unusual objects that are interesting, first of all, as extraordinary construction projects. Firstly, there is a huge cave temple deep underground. Taking photographs in it is strictly prohibited, so it is very difficult to estimate its actual dimensions. However, there is an opinion that at large holiday services it can accommodate up to two thousand people. The temple is somewhat similar to an amphitheater; its vaults rest on 12 pillars, and along the perimeter you can see passages to the cells of reclusive monks. Also in the underground part is the Cave of Repentance. In order to get into it, you will have to overcome a very narrow corridor, the ceiling of which gradually decreases, and at the entrance to the cave the pose invariably becomes bowed. And on the surface is the oldest and most beautiful structure of the monastery complex - the Spassky Church, the construction of which dates back to the 18th-19th centuries. The temple is a complex of two chalk pillars-divas standing close to each other; its premises are located inside the pillars, and an elegant belfry is thrown between them. Inside the temple contains another small miracle the size of a man. This icon called “The Gracious Sky” was painted at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries on a single sheet of iron.
Active convent
The exact year of foundation is not known
How to get there
Voronezh region, Podgorensky district, Kostomarovo
GPS coordinates: 50.681538 39.749896
From the Voronezh railway station by train going to Rossosh, to the Podgornoye station. From there, take a bus to the village of Kostomarovo.
Highway M-4 "Don", from Voronezh, turn onto Liski from Liski - to Kamenka. Then follow through the villages of Sonchino and Yudino to Kostomarovo.
It takes a couple of hours at most. As you cover kilometer after kilometer, you are surprised at how many destroyed and abandoned temples there are around.
Life here is not sugar.
According to legends, the first cave temples were built on the Don even before the adoption of Christianity in Rus'. In those old times here, in ascetic cave cells, hermit monks - the first Christians - hid from persecution. Even then, these places began to attract pilgrims, and around the 12th century the first monastery appeared here.
However, exact dates It is difficult to establish - various options are mentioned in the legends. But one way or another, next to the village with the original Russian name Kostomarovo there is one of the most incredible monuments ancient architecture our country.
Before approaching the monastery, in the distance on the chalk-white slopes of the beams you can see the Chapel of the Crucifixion.
This chapel stands on a mountain called Golgotha - by analogy with a similar place in the Holy Land. It also has its own Mount Tabor and the Garden of Gethsemane. Thousands of pilgrims from all over Russia come here every year.
The rugged slopes look very picturesque.
Behind the ridge is the Don River. Seeing our dirty car, local residents compassionately advised us to drive to the shore and wash the car in their ancestral river. “Otherwise the police will stop you!”
Looking at these slopes, eaten away by thousands of years of erosion, you are amazed at how bizarre natural forms can be. Before this, I had only seen a similar relief in Turkish.
Chalk pillars, or so-called "divas", were also formed as a result of erosion. The wind and water worked splendidly, and the first Christians built their monasteries inside, where they prayed to God for forgiveness.
Another angle
The best preserved local miracle to this day is the Spassky Church.
View from below.
The road to the temple is a stairway to heaven.
This temple was built over several centuries by people who were clearly well acquainted with Byzantine architectural traditions.
The bell tower of the temple is located directly between the two “divas”.
Most of the temple is located deep in the thickness of the chalk mountain. Before the revolution, the huge “Cave of Repentance”, 220 meters long, was the place where the most complete sinners were sent to confession. The interior of the temples is so vast that it can accommodate 2,000 people.
Most of the icons were destroyed or destroyed during Soviet times. Some of them were smoked, the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God was shot... However, the place of prayer withstood the onslaught of the atheists and lives again.
Today the Spassky Church is part of the Kostomarovsky Spassky Diocesan Women's Monastery.
Tourists take pictures in front of the holy monastery.
Local residents, like many centuries ago, come to pray.
A photographer is trying to shoot a masterpiece using Mamiya film.
Another view of the Spassky Church.
From the top of the stairs, from the foot of the temple, there is a view of the recently built church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost.” On the right side of the mountain are the remaining caves of the monastery - there are eight of them in total.
Bottom view
Not everyone likes the excursion.
In numerous caves there were utility rooms and cells of the monks, in which they led their Spartan life and turned to God. Some of the cells had a vertical shape, and one could only stand in them. During sleep, such stylite monks tied themselves with ropes or chains.
The entrance to the temple has recently been restored.
Pilgrims-tourists.
The arches of the temple tunnels are smooth, underground it is cold.
On the local Golgotha there is a chapel of the Crucifixion of the Lord - we saw it at the beginning of Lent.
At the very top there is a traditional cross and a fantastic view of the chalk canyons.
To see these unusual places, you don’t need to go to Turkey - it’s less than 700 km from Moscow, and 160 from Voronezh.
View from the top of the mountain to the chapel.
The dome glitters gold in the sun.
Sacrament
There's a lot in the parking lot expensive cars from Moscow and neighboring regions. "A respectable gentleman for respectable gentlemen!"
However, cycling pilgrims are also not uncommon. In general, the Voronezh region is a great place for cycling tourism. Interesting objects are located within a leisurely day's drive.
The village of Kostomarovo lives its quiet, inconspicuous life.
But if you drive through the sleepy streets of the village and climb in an SUV to the top of the neighboring ridge, you can look at the monastery from a different perspective. This is one of those cases when, instead of pressing the shutter, you enjoy the view for a long time, not believing in its realism.
Spassky Church
Small temples
General view of the monastery
Chapel over the chalk ridge
Well done, navigator Lena - she was the one who found the way up)
Carried away by the search for new angles, we went further, climbing another giant hill. From there there really was a wonderful view of the Kostomarovsky Monastery.
The road along the chalk ruts was very steep, the Santa was roaring with all six cylinders, and the wheels kept trying to slip.
The higher we climbed, the better the views were.
Finally, the top has been reached! And from here the view became even better)
Surprisingly, upon reaching the top of the plateau, the broken track along which we climbed up the mountain gave way to a good dirt road running along the perimeter of an endless field. Therefore, we decided not to return to the asphalt, but to continue our journey along roads that are not on the navigator. But more about this in one of next posts! Stay tuned!
My posts about the Voronezh region
Kostomarovo
November 01, 2014 The Chalk Mountains are amazing natural monuments that a traveler traveling overland from Central Russia in the direction of Kuban, the Caucasus, and the Caspian coast will definitely encounter.On the territory of the Voronezh, Volgograd, Belgorod, Rostov regions of Russia, Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine, the belt of chalk mountains is located in the basin of the Don and its largest tributary, the Seversky Donets. Reaching into the earth's thickness to a depth of 50 meters, the upper layers of chalk sediments are mixed with the earth, so grass, shrubs and trees grow on the chalk mountains.
Soft chalk is excellent for creating caves, which is why hermit monks have settled in the chalk mountains since ancient times. Later, Orthodox churches began to be built in the thickness of the chalk mountains. We will talk about the most interesting of them in this article.
The area where the river with the strange name Quiet Pine flows into the Don is called Divnogorye. “Divas” is what the locals call the chalk pillars, whimsically scattered over an area of about ten square kilometers. Here at the end of the 15th century, the Greek monks Xenophon and Joasaph brought an icon of the Mother of God from the Italian island of Sicily. They, according to legend, founded a men’s monastery at the mouth of Tikhaya Sosna, cutting out cave-cells in the chalk mountains.
The Church of the Sicilian Icon of the Mother of God, completely carved into the thickness of the chalk rock, was built and consecrated in 1862, and the icon itself became especially revered in 1831, when, according to Orthodox tradition, prayers to this icon contributed to ending the cholera epidemic that was raging on the Don. This is the most famous of the active caves Orthodox churches, visit to the Temple of the Sicilian Icon Mother of God included in many tourist and pilgrimage routes.
(Voronezh region, Russia)
The Spassky Monastery became a convent for women in 1997, when the entire empty monastery complex in Kostomarov, Podgorensky district of the Voronezh region, was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. And before the revolution, there was a men’s monastery here, founded, according to scientists, in the middle of the 17th century by Ukrainian Orthodox monks who fled to the Don from Transnistria from Uniate oppression.
On the territory of Kostomarovsky convent there are two chalk churches and the “Cave of Repentance”. The church in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov is made entirely of chalk remains; its construction began at the beginning of the twentieth century, but was not completed due to the outbreak of the revolution. The Cathedral of the Savior Not Made by Hands is a classical cave-type temple carved into the chalk rock. “Cave of Repentance” is a long narrow corridor carved into the chalk, with many icons and candles on the walls. The ceiling of the corridor gradually decreases as it approaches the cell where the elders formerly confessed to monks and pilgrims.
(Donetsk region, Ukraine)
The Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra is located on the right, high bank of the Seversky Donets. Until 1918, the Svyatogorsk Assumption Hermitage was located here, first mentioned in church documents in 1624. Initially, the Svyatogorsk Monastery was built as a defensive structure against the attacks of the Crimean Tatars. The monastery was granted Lavra status in 2004.
Except large number above-ground buildings (the monastery was one of the largest in Russian Empire), the Svyatogorsk Lavra also has a number of cave structures, the oldest being the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, presumably built before the 16th century. Later ones are the church of St. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk (dating from the 18th century) and the church of St. Alexy, built in 1861.
I continue to implement it little by little. On one chilly November day we managed to visit another iconic cave in the Don region. In general, actually, I examined several caves, but all together it is called the Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery. It is located in the Podgorensky district of the Voronezh region. Amazing place, I tell you. Regardless of personal attitude to religion, the place and its history are simply amazing. Don't believe me?
01
. The odometer covered almost 400 miles for the round trip from Voronezh. Not to say that it was very far, but the dirt from the trucks flying onto the windshield was, of course, tiring. We stopped to drink tea before descending into Kostomarovskaya Balka.
02 . It’s a pity that the weather that day turned out to be really anti-photographic. There was no need to count on landscapes.
03 . Actually, Kostomarovo. One of the oldest settlements in the Don region. " They say about the settlement of Kostomarova that it has existed since time immemorial, that when this area was still very small, the robber Kostomar lived here, drowned in a nearby lake, which is how the settlement got its name" (Shcherbina F.A.) By the middle of the 19th century, the settlement had grown: there were 210 courtyards and about 1,500 residents, a distillery, brick, lard factories, 20 windmills, 2 oil mills, a fair was going on for Easter. The all-knowing Wikipedia, meanwhile, knows at least 10 settlements with that name. Interestingly, 4 of them are located in the Tula region.
04
. The village is located under the so-called “Mount Tabor”. The fact is that some people call these places Russian Palestine. Certain elements of the landscape allegedly resemble Palestinian shrines: Gethsemane, Kidron, Golgotha with a cross on top, and so on. Local "Favor" in the photo below. Those in the know can compare. 
05 . Ground temple in honor of the icon Holy Mother of God"Recovery of the dead." I didn’t go inside, since the main purpose of the trip was the caves. And speaking of the latter. In the background you can see a path on the hill and 3 entrances to the so-called “gates”. These are small cave-cells of hermit monks. I will tell you more about them below.
06
. And here is an old map-scheme of all the Kostomarovsky caves, found on the Internet (I had to bring it to mind a little in Photoshop). As you can see, it dates back to the 1970s, but nothing fundamental has changed since then. Further, as the story progresses, we will look into almost each of these caves. 
07.
I also googled this funny diagram. Laugh and laugh, but it is really drawn quite believably and gives an idea of the location and architecture of the main monastery buildings. The artist, however, forgot that there were not two but three gated cells, or he was confused by the fact that the entrance of one of them was decorated with a tower. I did not visit the chapel on the mountain and “Calvary” and did not photograph it, but they are depicted correctly. . 
08 . We will begin our excursion with the main attraction of the Kostomarovsky Monastery - the double-altar Cathedral of the Savior Not Made by Hands. Main altar consecrated in honor of the Savior Not Made by Hands, and the left chapel in honor of the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia.
09 . While we're walking up the stairs, let's look around. These are residential buildings. Hotels for pilgrims, nursing corps and something unknown to me in the scaffolding.
10
. The entrance to the cave cathedral is carved into so-called divas. These are chalk outcrops for which the Voronezh region is famous. Largely thanks to it, which is often visited by tourists, but divas, as you can see, are found not only there.
I wrote about several more remains.
11 . We rise even higher. Indeed the landscape is quite deserted. There is no mobile connection here, even on the mountain.
12 . Historians are not very confident about the founding date of the monastery in the 8th-9th centuries AD. At this time, Byzantium was actively persecuting heretics, who allegedly fled to these places and founded a monastery here.
13 . At the entrance to each cave we are greeted by a sign asking us not to leave autographs on the walls. During the times of persecution and subsequent desolation, the Kostomarovsky caves suffered greatly not only from the commissars, but also from wild tourists. During the restoration of the monastery, something, of course, was erased, but some deep inscriptions can still be made out.
15 . Not all corners of the Spassky Cathedral are accessible to visitors.
16 . The cave vaults are supported by 12 chalk columns. Before the revolution, the temple had a well-fortified entrance, a well, a disguised emergency exit, and, if necessary, could withstand a long siege. On the Internet, information is often copied and pasted that the temple can accommodate up to 2000 people, but I deeply doubt it. Even if you open all the rooms and cells. I shared my doubts with one nun and she was also extremely surprised by this figure.
17
. High altar Savior Not Made by Hands. The only lighting here is a few candles and light from lamps. 
18 . Main shrine monastery - Kostomarovskaya Icon of the Valaam Mother of God. According to legend, it was donated to the monastery by Emperor Alexander I. Bullet marks are visible on the image. According to legend, a certain dashing Red Army soldier shot the icon at point-blank range 6 times, aiming at the faces of the Virgin Mary and Christ, but never hit. In 2002, this icon cast myrrh (and it was written on iron).
19 . The history of the Kostomarovsky monastery, as I already said, is very mysterious and little studied. It mainly consists of oral traditions and memories of old-timers. For unknown reasons, even in the era of consistories, which carefully recorded all the temples and monasteries of their time, almost nothing was said about the Kostomarovsky caves. In all likelihood, in the 19th century the Spassky Women's Monastery was a monastery belonging to, and quite a few schema-monks labored in it. Old-timers of Kostomarovo recall the stories of their grandparents about how at night they saw monks in pointed caps near the caves.
20
. After 1917, the ascetics, as elsewhere, were dispersed, but small community continued to meet in secret.
Blessed Elder Peter Eremeenko, well known to the residents of the area, often visited here. A niche for relics is visible in the background.
21 . In this stasidia (niche), according to monastic tradition, there was a Shroud with the image of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Lost without a trace during the time of the commissars.
22 . Another especially revered icon in the monastery is “The Labor of the Holy Family.” The iconography of this icon has been more common in Western painting since the Renaissance.
23 . Once again I will show a close-up of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Blessed Heaven”. In some sources it is called Valaam "Execution".
24
. Another old icon with the Mother of God and the Child Christ next to the Royal Doors. 
25 . We move to the left side chapel of the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. It is almost completely dark here, there is not even candlelight - I had to illuminate the walls with a flashlight. I was stunned by what I saw. Currently, a master from Belgorod is carving icons directly into the chalk rock! Do you see how there is even scaffolding and a pile of chalk visible on the altar? During work, electricity is obviously supplied using extension cords.
26 . Beginning in 1943, the believing residents of Kostomarovo for several years asked for the opening of a parish church in the caves. Permission was received only in 1946. It was during this period that the passage leading deeper into the Spassky Church was expanded, and in this expansion this chapel was created. Blessed Andrew, who was in seclusion here for several years, is considered the inspirer and active builder. Please note that when illuminated with a flashlight, hordes of mosquitoes became visible that decided to spend the winter in the caves.
27 . Emergency exit (visible in the diagram).
28 . The service is about to begin in the Spassky Church and I get out into the fresh air. After a couple of hours in the cave, it really gets you intoxicated.
29 . The sisters gather for prayer.
30 . Another version of the previous picture.
31
. Let's move on to examining the so-called "gates". These are cells for hermit monks who led a reclusive life, communicating with pilgrims and other monks only through small windows - to take food and notes asking for prayer. The last Kostomarovsky hermit (lived in the Cave of Repentance) was Father Peter, who was shot in 1937 right at the place where he received confession. Let me remind you that there are three gates in Kostomarovo. Here's the first one. I didn’t take a photo of another one because it’s basically very similar to this one. 
32 . The chalk rock here is quite soft, so it is highly susceptible to moisture penetration and the formation of green algae. All Kostomarovsky caves suffer greatly from humidity, although even in winter the temperature in them does not fall below +13+14 degrees. They say that the hermits had such an appearance that they could scare the villagers with them. In the Spassky Church there is a separate passage where the elders listened to the liturgy, hidden from the eyes of the parishioners. In this, the closest seclusion, lived a stylite monk. He spent all his time standing in prayer, and even at night he was tied to the wall.
33 . Go ahead. Cave temple in the name St. Seraphim Sarovsky. Construction began in 1903, but was only recently completed. They write about the diva above the entrance that it has been restored, but, to be honest, it looks like it was entirely made of individual stones.
34 . From the platform in front of the church you can clearly see the monastery refectory and the abbess's house. A little further there is a utility yard, and on the mountainside you can see the local “Garden of Gethsemane”.
35 . Let's go inside. Like the chapel in the name of the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, the Church of Seraphim of Sarov is also decorated with frescoes. The spectacle is, of course, amazing.
36 . Interestingly, services are held here only twice a year on the days of memory of the saint. In 1993, under the leadership of Archpriest Alexander Dolgushev, the clearing of caves and the revival of the monastery began. And the first service took place here. Pilgrims who came from Pavlovsk and Rossosh spent the night under open air. In the morning, believers began clearing out the caves. In 1997, the first nuns transferred from the Zadonsk Monastery arrived in Kostomarovo: Seraphim, Josapha and Dionysius. April 1, 1999 Holy Synod The Russian Orthodox Church adopted the Charter of the Kostomarovsky Spassky Diocesan Convent.
37 . Another view of the refectory.
38 . Entrance to the Cave of Repentance, famous throughout Russia. Even higher up the slope there is a cross (see maps). The so-called "Kostomarovskaya Calvary".
39 . This is the wettest dungeon in Kostomarovo. For your understanding, I am attaching a photo of the ceiling. By the way, the walls in this cave are not dirty with chalk, because they are painted white.
40 . The Cave of Repentance is a long curved corridor with icons carved into the niches. Supposedly, all this together helps the sinner reach the place of confession, humbling his pride and leaving all vanity.
41 . The icons are, naturally, ceramic. Icon of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.
42 . At random I stopped at only two icons. And the second was the icon of St. Andrew the First-Called. I don’t know, for some reason it seemed to me like some kind of sign from above. The corridor is really long, there are really a lot of icons, almost complete darkness, and I stopped right next to the “namesake”. By the way, as it turned out, there are as many as seven Saint Andrews in Christianity (!).
43
. As you move, the ceiling becomes lower and lower, and in the confessional booth, by force of captivity, anyone (except dwarfs) will have to bow their heads. Penance was imposed on the person confessing - he performed hard physical work at the temple.
On the lectern lies a piece of paper, hidden from dampness in a file, with a prayer for modern pilgrims.
44 . The inspection has been completed. Meanwhile, night is slowly descending into Kostomarovskaya Gully. It's time to go home. There are almost 200 km of road ahead.
45
. And one last photo for the traveling and photographing fraternity. That's why there are almost no photos of the inside on the Internet.
For fans of copy-paste and free content, due to the exclusivity of the photos in this post, I think it’s worth reminding once again that:
According to current legislation, for using a photo without permission, the copyright holder can demand compensation in the amount of 10 thousand to 5 million rubles. The same compensation is due for the removal of information about the author. I regularly monitor my photos using special software to detect their illegal use. You can obtain permission to use these photographs or purchase them for individual or commercial use by contacting me in any available way. Shatrishche Cave
I remind copy-pastors that when reprinting materials, an active indexed link to the source is required.
Our country is replete with places of unique beauty, with marvelous landscapes, architectural ensembles and modern buildings in high-tech style.
Let's talk about one of them, a beautiful and unforgettable corner of Russia - the fabulous Divnogorye - this word is mesmerizing and sounds like music.
Are you a supporter of active recreation?
This place was created for you!
Here, far from civilization, you can enjoy the delightful monuments of ancient architecture, take a deep breath of the free steppe air and the spicy smell of field herbs.
Where is this fabulous corner located?
Divnogorye is a modern fairy tale that is in Liskinsky district, Voronezh region. It owes its name to the chalk pillars, called “divas” by the locals, which means miracle.
The Divnogorsk fairy tale is located 10 km from the center of the city of Liski, on the right bank of the mighty Don River.
The museum was founded in 1988, and later it was given the status of a nature reserve.
The natural museum is spread over an area of more than 1,100 hectares.
Most of the open-air museum's territory is occupied by chalk deposits.
Here are the only ones of their kind - chalk cave churches, founded in the 17th century.
Every year, during the tourist season, over 60 thousand tourists come here from all over Russia, near and far abroad.
In winter, a large amount of precipitation falls in the Voronezh region, making excursions inconvenient, so the tourist season in Divnogorye opens in May and ends in October.
How to get to the natural museum and how many kilometers from Voronezh
Before arriving in Divnogorye and starting to inspect archaeological monuments, churches and monastery located on the territory of the reserve, you need to know how to get here.
First we arrive in the city Voronezh, from which our final destination is located at a distance of 150 km - Divnogorye village.
Information on how to get to the intended point from Voronezh to the Divnogorye farm:
1. How to get there by car
2. How to get there by bus
With one transfer along the route Voronezh-Liski-Divnogorie.
- Let's go first Voronezh-Liski.
The bus departs from the Voronezh Central Bus Station (from the Voronezh-1 railway station you can get there by buses - No. 67 A, 13 N, 121, minibus - 37 A, 49 B).
The trip will take 2 hours and 25 minutes, the ticket price is 153 rubles.
- Transfer to bus Liski-Divnogorie
(the bus leaves from the station square). The trip will take 1 hour 30 minutes, the ticket price is 130 rubles.
3. By electric train along the route Voronezh - Liski - Divnogorie
- Electric train to the Liski city station, ticket price is 174 rubles, travel time – 2 hours 17 minutes
- Transfer in the city of Liski, exit at the platform 143 km - cost - 90 rubles, approximately 30 minutes.
Something to remember! Vipers are found in these places, but they do not go down to the river, so think about your equipment in advance. Clothes and shoes must be closed.
The main attractions of Divnogorye
On the territory of the museum-reserve there are:
- Church of the Sicilian Icon of the Mother of God
- Temple of John the Baptist
- Divnogorskaya Church-3
- Holy Dormition Divnogorsk Monastery (17th century).
There is also an archaeological site here ancient culture, the so-called Mayatskoye settlement, or rather what remains of it - fortress ruins and a burial ground.
On the background natural phenomena Chalk pillars were formed, which are divided into Large And Small Divas, which are located 3 kilometers from each other.
Big Divas
Cave temples carved into rocks are the main attractions of the unique museum.
Sicilian icon of the Mother of God
The Temple of the Sicilian Icon of the Mother of God, located in Big Diva, was carved by monks right into the rock. It dates back to the 17th century, the temple is made of two tiers, it also has a bypass gallery and an altar.
An ancient legend says that this miraculous icon stopped a cholera outbreak in this village.
Due to the humid climate in the cave, the Sicilian Icon of the Mother of God is delivered to the church only on the days of services, and a copy of the icon is constantly displayed there.
Church of John the Baptist
The Church of John the Baptist is located in the chalk deposits of Malye Diva. According to legend, the founders of this temple were the Greek monks Xenophon and Joasaph.
The church was first mentioned in the mid-17th century.
Near the church, a bell tower was carved into a chalk pillar-remnant.
From the outside, the Church of John the Baptist looks like a rock, lined with chalk blocks, it contains: a gallery for performing procession and the altar. The architecture of the church premises resembles a pseudo-Gothic style.
In 1998, the church became part of the Divnogorsk Monastery.
The next cave church is called Divnogorskaya-3.
This is an unfinished church located on Mount Shatrishche.
It is part of the Divnogorye museum complex, but only tourists with mountaineering skills and knowledge can take an excursion to the cave.
Advice. When visiting temples located in rock formations, we recommend taking warm clothes; it is quite cool there, even on the hottest day.
Mayatskoye settlement and necropolis
In addition to the mentioned temple architectural structures, visit the Mayatskoye settlement, which includes pottery workshops, a fortress and an ancient settlement with a necropolis.
Where to stay
It is very popular among vacationers to relax in tents on the banks of the Tikhaya Pine River, where you can swim, sunbathe, go fishing, enjoy the healing air and the night trills of birds and cicadas.
Tourists who prefer comfortable accommodation can stay in the city of Liski in the private sector or in a hotel.
The cost of daily accommodation in the private sector starts from 500 rubles; in a hotel you will pay from 900 rubles for a single room per day.
For motorists there is a paid parking lot near the administration building of the museum-reserve.
If you are planning a tent holiday with a picnic, stock up on food and drinking water in Liski in advance.
There is a summer cafe and a grocery store in Divnogorye.
What souvenirs can you buy?
Tourists who come on an excursion to the museum-reserve will certainly want to bring memorable souvenirs that remind them of their visit to this unique place.
In the souvenir shop of the nature reserve, you can buy bells with images of the temples and monastery of the Great and Small Divas, made of ceramics.
The pottery workshop produces mugs with the marks of the masters, in the likeness of ancient utensils that were used by the inhabitants who lived in these places long before us.
Samples of these products are also presented in the souvenir shop and are readily purchased by tourists.
Animals
