Inkerman St. Clement Cave male. Inkerman cave monastery - an outstanding monument of several eras

In the summer of 2010, I had a chance to rest in the Crimea. The combination of lifeless rocks and the infinitely blue sea could not leave me indifferent. But Crimea is famous not only for its nature. On the territory of a little more than half of the Moscow region, there are many monuments of history and architecture: these are Chersonese in Sevastopol, and the Livadia Palace near Yalta, and the Inkerman Monastery, and the Genoese fortress in Sudak and other attractions.

I visited many places in Crimea, but the Inkerman Monastery struck me the most, so I want to dwell on its history and description of its current state in more detail.

Location

Inkerman St. Clement Cave monastery is located near the city of Sevastopol, in its suburb of Inkerman, on the right bank of the Chernaya River.

Inkerman is famous for the Inkerman stone. This is a dense white limestone, which is used for cladding buildings. This stone, for example, lined the famous Livadia Palace, which was built at the beginning of the 20th century for recreation. royal family. This palace is also famous for the fact that in 1945 it hosted the Yalta Conference. This stone was mined here back in the days of the Roman Empire, so many catacombs and caves formed in the rocks. It was here, in the Monastyrskaya and Zagaitanskaya rocks, that the cave monastery arose.

History of Saint Clement

Back in the 1st century, the Crimean peninsula was called Tauride and belonged to the Roman Empire. One of the largest cities on the Tauride Peninsula was Khersones, or Korsun (the territory of present-day Sevastopol), and near this place (in present-day Inkerman) there were quarries, where, according to legend, wicked Roman emperors exiled Christians as slaves. So, the Roman emperor Trajan, who was a zealous idolater, in 94, among other Christians, exiled St. Clement, Pope of Rome, to hard labor in a quarry.

Arriving at the place of exile, Saint Clement met many believing Christians condemned to work in quarries without water. He prayed together with the condemned, and the Lord, in the form of a Lamb, showed him the place of a spring from which a whole river flowed. This miracle attracted many people to St. Clement. Listening to the zealous preacher, hundreds of pagans turned to Christ. And there, in the quarries, a temple was cut down, in which the saint held Liturgies.

The rulers of Chersonesus did not like the activities of St. Clement, so they decided to execute him. A heavy anchor was tied around the saint's neck and thrown to the bottom of the sea in Cossack Bay. So in the year 101 Saint Clement died, but a year later the sea receded, and people saw the remains of the righteous man in the underwater grotto. Every year, on the day of the death of the saint, Christians came to the place of execution and along the exposed bottom they went to worship the holy relics.

The ebb of the sea allowed people to come to the holy relics until the 6th century, then a church was built on a small island in the middle of the bay. In 861, the holy brothers Constantine (Cyril) and Methodius, the creators of the Slavic alphabet, arrived in Chersonese. They appealed to Archbishop George of Chersonesos with a request to help them acquire the holy relics. Saints Cyril and Methodius brought part of the relics to Rome, where they are kept to this day in the Basilica of St. Clement. And the other part of the blessed remains of St. Clement was left in Chersonese, where they remained until the 10th century. After baptism, Prince Vladimir asked for a blessing from the local bishop for the honest head and part of the relics of St. Clement and transferred them to Kyiv.

The origin of monastic life

First, in the 6th century, a fortification built by local tribes appeared on the right bank of the Chernaya River on a high rock. Later, when the influence of the feudal Principality of Theodoro strengthened in this part of the Crimea, the Avlita seaport was founded at the end of Severnaya Bay, at the mouth of the Chernaya River, and to protect it, the Mangup prince Alexei rebuilt the ancient fortification, turning it into a Kalamita fortress. Here, under the protection of a formidable fortress, around the 8th-9th centuries, a cave monastery arose. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Crimea passed into the possession of Orthodox Byzantium.

The caves served the first monks as housing and utility rooms. Temples were also arranged in caves, an altar, a throne, and benches were cut out of stone. All rooms were connected by stairs carved into the rock. Being close to a major trading port, the monastery lived comfortably.

Crimea under the rule of the Turks and the Tales of the Russian priest Jacob Lyzlov

But in 1475 the Turks captured the Crimea. They rebuilt the fortress and named it Inkerman, which means "cave fortress". Obviously, a Christian monastery could not exist next to Muslim fortress and gradually fell into decline. The desolation was long enough, it lasted almost four centuries.

The legend, which is based on the Tales of the Russian priest Jacob Lyzlov, tells how Father Jacob made a pilgrimage across the Crimean peninsula when he was under the Turkish-Tatar yoke. The legend refers to the 30s of the 17th century. Father Jacob, arriving at the monastery, found an untouched shrine with relics in the deserted and devastated St. Clement's Church. For a long time he collected information from local residents, trying to determine who owns the incorruptible remains. But no one could remember this. Local residents told Father Jacob how the Tatars tried several times to bury these relics in the steppe, but they miraculously returned to the monastery in a shrine. In the end, the Tatars decided to leave the relics in the monastery. Priest Jacob, having prayed, decided to take the holy relics to Russia so that they would not be reviled by the wicked. But in a dream, the image of St. George the Victorious appeared to him and forbade him to take away his remains from the Crimea (Earlier, the monastery was also called St. George).

Crimea - part of the Russian Empire

Since 1783, Sevastopol came under the rule of the Russian Empire.

Thanks to the efforts of Archbishop Innokenty, the Inkerman kennel was opened in 1850. The reconstruction of three cave temples began. But since no funds were allocated by the state, and she herself was very poor, the restoration took place without expensive work. The temples were cleared of debris and stones, and the murals were updated.

On October 15, 1852, the church was consecrated in the name of the Hieromartyr Clement. The temple had the shape of a basilica, once two rows of columns divided the space of the church into three naves. Only a part of the columns has survived to this day.

In 1867, another cave church was opened, dedicated to the Roman Bishop Saint Martinian.

The Moscow historian, archaeologist and artist D.M. Strukov (1827-1899) was engaged in the restoration of ancient temples. Restoring the church of St. Clement, he covered the ceiling with silver paint, created new wall paintings, and laid boards on the floor. They also painted icons for the temple.

Two years after the opening of the monastery, the Crimean War began. There were fierce battles near the Black River. The monastery was also seriously damaged. Enemy cores and bullets did not destroy the cave temples, only traces of them remained on the walls, but the British plundered all the property of the Inkerman Monastery. But as soon as the war ended, two novices and a hieromonk settled in the cenovium. They cleared the churches of the cores and resumed services.

In 1867, the rector's house and the house church were built, which was consecrated on August 13 in the name of the Holy Trinity, the source of St. Clement was restored. In 1875, the construction of the railway was completed, connecting Sevastopol with the Lozovaya station. She passed next to the Monastery rock.

The noise of passing trains broke the centuries-old silence of the monastery, but the number of pilgrims increased. In order to conveniently arrange them, a hotel was built in the monastery in 1896.

In 1895 they built new temple in Byzantine style. architectural feature of this temple, consecrated in the name of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, was that the altar part was cut into the rock, the rest of the temple was ground.

In 1905, several churches appeared in the monastery at once. One of them was built on the site of the medieval cave church of St. Eugraphius and consecrated in the name of the Holy Hieromartyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. The temple is located in the eastern part of the Monastery rock. Above his throne was an image of Christ in a bowl. At the bottom of the image, an inscription has been preserved - the prayer of the servant of God Zotik with his wife and children. This inscription is dated 1272.

On September 27, in the presence of Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich and veterans of the Crimean War, a cave church was consecrated in honor of the Joy of All Who Sorrow icon. The temple was built on the site of the ancient cave church of St. Sophia, carved into the cliff of Kamenolomennaya beam. The author of the restoration project and the builder of the temple is the architect A.M. Veizen.

As a connection with the historical day of the Inkerman battle and the half-century anniversary of the defense of Sevastopol, they placed inside the temple in copies of the image of all military units that took part in the Inkerman battle. The temple was assigned to the Nikolsky Admiralty Cathedral in Sevastopol.

The temple was closed in the 1920s and destroyed during the Great Patriotic War. His appearance was captured by postcards kept in the funds of the Museum of Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol.

The Church of St. Nicholas on the upper plateau of the Monastery Rock was consecrated on October 5, 1905. Temple-monument of the heroic defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855. built of white Inkerman stone in the Byzantine style, cruciform in plan with two aisles, it is reproduced on postcards and lithographs of the 20th century. For a long time it was not possible to establish the author of the project and the builder of the temple. There is an opinion that it was G. Dolin, the architect of the Sevastopol city administration. The Church of St. Nicholas was closed in 1926. It was destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.

By 1910, the architectural appearance of the Inkerman Monastery was finally formed. Two residential buildings were built for the brethren, in one of them a house church was built in honor of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God. At the monastery, a parochial school was opened, in which 37 boys studied. In 1917, 25 monks and 122 novices lived in cinovium.

Monastery during the civil war and Soviet rule

During the Civil War, the monastery supported the white army of Baron Wrangel. After the establishment of Soviet power in the Crimea, all the lands of the monastery were nationalized and transferred to the disposal of the labor artel, which included the monks. Since 1920, all monastic churches have become parish. The money of the religious community was not enough to maintain all the temples in proper condition. In 1925 Inkermanskaya religious community abandoned five churches, leaving a cave church in the name of St. Clement and the house Trinity Church, but they did not last long. In 1926, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Sevastopol District Executive Committee, a decision was made to close the St. George and Inkerman monasteries. The chapel, built on the grave of soldiers, was dismantled in 1927. In 1928, the temple of the icon "Joy of All Who Sorrow" was closed. Four monks remained to live in the monastery after its closure.

During the Great Patriotic War, the headquarters of the 25th Chapaev Division of the Primorsky Army was located in the caves of the monastery. During the second defense of Sevastopol in June 1942, the soldiers of this division on the Inkerman Heights tried to hold back the enemy, who was rushing towards the city.

After the war, a monument was erected to the fallen soldiers.

The revival of the monastery. The fate of Archimandrite Augustine

The revival of the Inkerman St. Clement Monastery began in 1991 and went quite successfully thanks to the vigilant care of Archimandrite Augustine. This amazing man saw restoration as the goal of his life. Orthodox shrines Crimea and put a lot of work on it. He was born in Sevastopol in 1955, served in navy. After receiving an education, for some time he worked as a production designer in the theaters of Sevastopol. But the Lord prepared a different path for him. In 1989, Alexander worked in St. Nicholas Church at the Fraternal Cemetery, took part in the restoration of damaged mosaics, and was a worker in the altar. In August of the same year he was ordained a deacon, and three months later a priest. He was appointed rector of two devastated churches at once. But no one has ever seen Father Alexander upset; on the contrary, he was cheerful, saying: "The Lord will manage everything." He passed on this faith in Christ and optimism to everyone around him.

Father Alexander received spiritual education at the Odessa Theological Seminary. In 1992 he was appointed rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity at the Inkerman St. Clement Monastery. He himself painted the iconostasis, with his help the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement returned to the monastery. Subsequently, Father Alexander took monastic vows and was appointed governor of one of the Crimean monasteries, but always helped the brethren of the Inkerman Monastery. In 1996, the archimandrite died in a car accident, it was decided to bury his body on the territory of the Inkerman St. Clement Monastery.

During the seven years of his activity, Archimandrite Augustine restored three monasteries and seven churches.

His grave is located in the monastery courtyard at the foot of the cliff.

Current state

The ancient cave temples of Klimentovsky, Martinovsky and Andreevsky are currently active. All of them are connected by a common corridor.

The entrance to the cave temple is a door in a sooty wall. The pilgrim, having crossed the threshold, sees in front of him a narrow stone staircase. This staircase leads to the temples of the monastery. Windows and doorways were cut in the right wall of the corridor. Previously, they probably led to a balcony.

In the left wall there are ossuaries and three cave churches. A lamp is burning in the ossuary, and human skulls lie on the shelves. On the glass, through which the pilgrim looks inside, there is an inscription: "We were the same as you - you will be the same as us." The bones stacked in a special room are reminiscent of the Athonite tradition of opening up the grave and, by the state of the remains, determining whether the soul of a person has been accepted by the Lord.

Outside, the premises of the upper tier now look like two wooden chapels clinging to a sheer rock, crowned with domes with crosses.

The middle of the three churches - in the name of the Holy Apostle Andrew - is believed to have been cut down by Pope Clement himself. It is small in size, with a low horizontal ceiling. The altar is separated from the main room by a solid rock barrier with a gate in the middle and two small windows. Through the right window, the legend says, they received the confession of the penitents: a seat of stone was built here for the priest. The throne in the altar, adjacent, as is customary, to the eastern wall, is also carved out of stone. St. Andrew's Church is a real cave church, as you imagine it when reading about the catacombs of the first Christians: the walls and vault are not straightened here, they are rough and wrinkled, unlike, say, the neighboring church in the name of St. Martin the Confessor (another pope Rimsky, exiled to the Crimea). And it is precisely this simplicity and artlessness that gives rise to a special sense of community with the first confessors of Christianity.

The main temple of the monastery, consecrated in the name of the Holy Hieromartyr Clement, is one of the largest cave temples in Crimea. It has the form of a basilica, divided by rows of columns into three naves; in the altar, just above the niche for the altarpiece, there is a traditional Byzantine relief image of a “flourishing” cross in a circle. Behind St. Clement's Church is the last room of this tier - a room with a stone bench carved along the walls along the inner perimeter. In ancient times, it served as a fraternal refectory, now it is used to perform treb.

All three described cave temple- acting. Not many people can fit here, and services on holidays are held in the already restored ground church - the Holy Trinity. There is also a particle of the relics of the holy martyr, transferred from Kyiv.

And in the monastery courtyard there is a small pond with water lilies and goldfish that swim up to look at the pilgrims and just curious looking at them ... And all around is the constant hard work of monks and novices: temples are being revived with their hands, which used to be much more in the monastery .. .

The material was prepared by Olga Rudneva

Notes.

1. By the way, quarries are still working today: this is probably the oldest operating enterprise in the Crimea. A narrow and long tunnel, the size of a five-story building, has been cut through the soft limestone rock, through which trucks enter the gorge. Nearby is the Inkerman-1 freight station.

2. The spring dried up in the 1930s (perhaps due to ongoing construction work), and its water, according to one version, gradually flooded the Inkerman stone quarry, located on the other side of the Monastery rock.

3. There is an opinion that attempts to reconstruct the remaining churches caused irreparable damage to their original appearance: medieval frescoes in the church of St. Eugras were destroyed. During construction work, the layout of churches changed in accordance with the tastes of new customers, so that the current churches no longer resemble the original ones.

4. This construction also caused significant damage to the architectural appearance of the monastery. The cave monasteries in the Georgievskaya and Troitskaya beams were destroyed. This railway is still in operation, there is a railway station on the territory of the monastery.

5. It is interesting to note that while the headquarters of the Soviet army was located under the protection of a sheer cliff in the monastery caves, a railway passed nearby, the headquarters of the German army was located in the famous Livadia Palace on a significant elevation, so that the German command could admire the amazing view of the sea.

Publication: Church of Sts. martyrs and elders Boris and Gleb in Degunin

Inkerman St. Clement's Monastery it is not for nothing that they call it a cave cave, it is carved right into a sheer rock, in which the monks live. This is the oldest temple of the Simferopol diocese, leading its history from the 1st century AD. His life path cannot be called easy. The temple was a fortress, a refuge for exiles, a dwelling for hermits.

The owners of the picturesque place changed, and with them the religion changed. During the period of Soviet power, the temple was completely closed. Most of the monastery collapsed. But more than half a century later, life was breathed into the monastery again. Now divine services are continuously conducted in the monastery, the temple actively receives tourists and pilgrims who come here from different countries.

The temple is located on the Crimean peninsula, in the suburbs of Sevastopol, the city of Inkerman.

The ground part nestled at the foot of Mount Monastyrskaya, on the plateau of which the ruins of Kalamita were spread, the rest of the rooms were built inside the rock.

How to get there by car

The car route to the cave monastery runs along the Simferopol highway in the direction of Simferopol-Sevastopol. Leaving behind Mr. Inkerman, we must move forward. Before reaching the bridge over the Chernaya River, turn left near the gas station. The temple cannot be seen from the road, it is hidden by a railway embankment and lush vegetation.

The only landmark is the ruins of Kalamita. It is forbidden to enter the territory of the monastery, so there is free parking for cars near the road. Then you need to go on foot to the tunnel laid to the monastery under the railway tracks.

How to get there by public transport

There are several ways to get to the monastery by public transport:

You can get to the Inkerman cave monastery by regular bus.

By bus	By train	On the boat
On the intercity bus "Sevastopol-Inkerman" get to the stop "Vtormet", then walk about 500 m. If you ask the driver, he will stop directly near the monastery. The route from the "North Side" area runs on a regular bus number 106, departing from Zakharov Square. From Sevastopol, take a trolleybus to the 5th km stop, then transfer to minibus No. 103 or No. 117, getting off at the Inkerman stop, and follow to the monastery on foot. The bus ride to the temple will take 30-45 minutes, depending on the chosen route.	On the train "Sevastopol-Simferopol", next from the railway station with an interval of 30 minutes, get to the station. "Inkerman". The train will take you to the place in about 45 minutes. Due to the very close location of the temple to the tracks, from the windows of the train, the monastery, as if in the palm of your hand. It seems that you can touch it with your hands. After getting off at the station, cross the bridge and walk a little more.	A boat runs from the Grafskaya Pier to the monastery twice a day. The journey will take about 50 minutes.

The monastery domes will help you orient yourself, they are visible from afar. The inside of the temple can only be reached through a tunnel in the railway tracks. If you order an excursion to the monastery, then the route to it will be the task of the guide, which will greatly facilitate the problem.

History of the monastery

The Inkerman cave monastery was founded in quarries, where white building stone was mined. This is the oldest temple in the Crimea, built in the 1st century AD. 4th Pope - Clement. He held the first divine services here back in 1992. Exiled to the Inkerman Quarries for preaching Christian religion, he organized a flock of the same convicts as he was, and continued his good work.

About 2,000 exiles from Rome and Greece gathered for prayers in a gloomy, rock-cut room.

Clement, who had previously been a student of the Apostle Peter, was actively monitored and passed on information to Emperor Troyan. The emperor, who hates Christianity, ordered to kill him and several other parishioners in order to visually show the fate that awaits the rest of the followers. Clement was drowned on a dark night in AD 101. The Temple has ceased to exist.

Around the 8th century AD, monastic cells appeared next to the cave where Clement preached sermons. The passages from one to the other were an ornate tunnel. With their appearance, a monastery was created, most of which was carved inside the rock. He was named in honor of Saint Clement, who died for the desire to preserve Christianity.

The monastery led a quiet humble life until the third quarter of the 15th century. When the Turks attacked the Crimea in 1475, the wave of persecution of Christians resumed. Under their oppression, the monastery fell into decay, most of it was destroyed, the property was plundered by the British and Turks. Having failed to recover, by 1778 the temple was completely deserted. Only majestic rocks rose above the ground.

A new stage in the revival of the Inkerman Monastery began in 1850. Having restored the abandoned monastery, they cut down 3 more churches in the rock, equipped the courtyard and cells. Since then, he confidently carried his mission until the 30s. XX century, until it was closed with the advent of Soviet power.

In 1910, the monastery was slightly expanded, due to the increase in the number of brethren - they created a house church, a parish school and 2 ground buildings for the brethren. After another 7 years, 25 monks and more than 100 novices already lived in it. And in 1920, the monastery provided support to the detachments of Major General P. N. Wrangel, on the withdrawal of the army from the Crimean ports.

With the coming to power of the communists, the activity of the monastery was suppressed, the chapel erected on the grave of the soldiers who died in the Inkerman battle was destroyed, and the temple was closed. His property was transferred to the Simferopol Museum. But after the closure, despite the fact that officially the temple no longer existed, the abbot Benedict lived in it for some time with 2 elderly elders. Services were not held.

During the 2nd World War, the caves of the former Inkerman monastery sheltered the headquarters of the Chapaev division. Its fighters in 1942 held back the Germans rushing to Sevastopol.

The dawn for the monastery came with the arrival of Archimandrite Augustine of Polovtsy as rector, in the 90s. XX century. Thanks to his efforts, the monastery began to rebuild again. For 20 years, it has recovered almost completely and has 5 active temples.

The architectural ensemble of the monastery

The Inkerman Monastery is now a complex of 3 cave and 2 ground temples, an economic block, as well as living quarters for the monastic brethren. Ground temples - the Church of the Holy Trinity and the temple of Panteleimon the Healer - are located at the foot of the cliff. An underground tunnel leads to them from the road.

After passing a small monastery courtyard, decorated with a dome at the entrance, you will find yourself in front of a cramped door in the rock, opening a staircase that leads to cave temples.

For example:

• Saint Clement- consecrated in 1852, 2 years after its creation;
• Saint Martin the Confessor- consecrated after a small redevelopment in 1867;
• Andrew the First-Called, consecrated in 1900, although this is the most ancient temple out of 3, Clement himself knocked him out.

All of them are united by a common corridor. The studies of the rocky terrain revealed traces of the existence of 9 cave monasteries connected by a complex tunnel system and about 30 temples. All but 5 operating ones are in disrepair. They were badly damaged by the earthquake that occurred in 1927, some were damaged during the fighting.

In 1932, they decided to dismantle them.

On the rocky slopes, 200 artificial caves were found cut down at different times. These caves are the largest component of the monastery complex. Of particular interest is the new fraternal corps, located on the ground. On the facade of the restored building, traces of bullets were preserved, in memory of the experienced Crimean War.

Architect and exterior decoration of the cathedral

The monastery, hidden in the ruins of the fortress, impresses with its unusual whiteness among the gray rocks. Its snow-white ground buildings are perfectly visible from the windows of the train rushing to Sevastopol, since the fence of the monastery is located right next to the railway track.

Responsible for the architecture of the renewed in late XVIII century of the temple - architect and artist Strukov D.M. The external and internal simplicity of the buildings emphasizes the severity of these places and the strength of the faith of God's servants living in rocky caves. The names of those who were involved in its arrangement in the future, unfortunately, are not known.

The gates of the monastery are arranged under a 40 m. rock. Behind them is a panel depicting temple saints. Next is the cemetery, from which the stairs to the rocks begin. In the middle of the courtyard there is a monument to the fallen soldiers. The doors to the cave temples are guarded by the images of the archangels Michael and Gabriel.

The main temple is the church of St. Clement. It contains the ark with his relics. The rectangular building, uniting 3 naves of different heights, is divided by 2 rows of columns and resembles a basilica in shape. Appearance The building, covered with white plaster, is quite simple and has almost no decorations.

Only the upper part of the apse is decorated with a large Byzantine-style cross carved in stone, from which unpretentious plant shoots spread in a semicircle. It is the largest in size. The rest of the cave temples are gloomy and low.

The rectangular church of St. Martin the Confessor, covered with a semicircular dome, has no external decor, like the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called, whose low ceilings perfectly emphasize its cave origin. Historians believe that this particular room was cut down by St. Clement. Keeping the memory of the creator, its dimensions have not changed so far.

In view of the limited space of the cave churches, festive services, which gather many parishioners, are performed in the ground church of the Holy Trinity, located behind the fraternal building. His white building irregular shape, dotted with many windows without architraves, overlooking small chapels. Due to the large number of windows, the room is well lit.

Partially above ground, the temple of Panteleimon the Healer was built in the Byzantine style. Rectangular building with rectangular windows and a door, not decorated with anything. Belfries are located above the temple in the rock. It was erected in 1895, in memory of the family of Alexander III saved near the railway station.

Of particular interest are the balconies scattered along the slopes of the rock, arranged in numerous caves. From afar, they resemble intricate bird nests. The paths are paved, the courtyard is neat and clean. The landscape is completed by a pond and flower beds. The temple is separated from the railway tracks by a high metal fence.

Interior decoration

From the inside, the monastery looks just as simple as from the outside. But this roughness and gloom of the caves does not in the least affect devotion to God. It only shows the power of true faith. The arrangement of the interior of the monastery was also done by D.N. Strukov. He himself painted it with icons. The ceiling, right on top of the rough cutting, was covered with silver paint according to his decision, and the floor was laid out with boards.

Icons hang in the passages between the temples, but they look rather gloomy. The long corridor leading to the main temple has several pews carved in stone. A niche for the altar image was cut in the wall of the temple, under it a two-stage arched bench was carved for spiritual father, in the center is a mountainous place.

Frescoes have not survived to this day, except for the one that depicts the Savior on the throne. It was decided to move the linen iconostasis from St. Clement's Church to St. Martin's Church. Instead, a galvanized gilded iconostasis was installed on a stone throne.

During the restoration of the church of St. Martin, its original appearance was violated by a somewhat expanded apse, which gave it some unevenness. The throne in it fits snugly against the wall. In a rocky niche, under glass, there is a ossuary with skulls of buried people. The inscription on it - "We were the same as you" - makes you seriously think about life.

The Church of St. Andrew the First-Called is located in a small cave. The ceiling hangs directly overhead. There are only 2 windows inside. At the right one, a seat was carved in stone, here the holy father confesses the parishioners. At the left window there is an altar separated by a partition. An altar was arranged under the window; wine and bread were served through it during the service.

A small niche for storing vessels is carved along the top. The throne is also adjacent to the wall.

The peculiarity of the temple of Panteleimon the Healer is that its altar is carved right into the wall, and the iconostasis is lined with glass mosaics. The ceiling of the temple is decorated with a large forged chandelier. The Church of the Holy Trinity is a little more spacious, but the interior decoration is as modest as in other churches: a stone throne, an altar, icons and gloomy gray walls, dotted with many windows.

Shrines and relics of the cathedral

The Inkerman cave monastery considers a particle from the head of St. Clement to be its main shrine. The ark with it is kept in the nave of St. Clement's Church. In addition to her, the relics of Panteleimon the Healer and George the Victorious are revered.

In the ossuary of the church of St. Martin there are 12 heads of people exiled to the Inkerman quarries. The monks pray here and believe that the dead not only hear, but also pray for the living.

The small ark contains the relics of the Kiev-Pechersk saints:

• miracle worker Caves Agathon;
• Bishop of Novgorod Nifont;
• Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene;
• Painful Pimen;
• Andrew the First-Called;
• Bethlehem babies.

Mentors

The very first abbot of the monastery was its creator, Clement. For the most part, data on the mentors of the revived monastery have not been preserved. Of the modern clergy, the most famous are Fr. Tikhon - kind, bright and playful, who entered the monastery after serving in the Navy, and Archbishop Luke, who replaced Fr. Tikhon after his death.

Luka, who was already at an advanced age, zealously set about restoring order, sparing no effort, and not letting anyone down. Many considered him an arrogant and ambitious minister. A surgeon in the past, he continued his medical practice, taking at home for free.

In the early 90s. In the 20th century, Archimandrite Augustine was elevated to the post of rector, in the world - Alexander Polovetsky. It is to him that the monastery owes its revival after being closed under the Soviet rule. In addition, he painted the iconostasis with his own hands. In August 2015, Archimandrite Kallinik (Chernyshev) was appointed to the position, and he still holds it.

Schedule of services, mode of operation of the monastery

Inkerman cave monastery can be visited daily from 9:00 to 17:00. Services are held on Fridays, weekends and public holidays. morning service starts at 7:00, the evening service starts at 17:00.

Rules for visiting the temple

The rules for visiting the monastery are as modest as the monastery itself. Parishioners are required to keep quiet and maintain a humble appearance. A woman must enter the temple in a skirt or dress, the length of which should not exceed the knees. Be sure to cover your head with a scarf or scarf. Men are not recommended to visit Holy place in a t-shirt and shorts.

Patronal feasts

The monastery annually celebrates 6 temple holidays:

• December 08 is the feast day of St. Clement.
• December 13 is the day of memory of St. Andrew the First-Called.
• April 27 is the day of memory of Martin the Confessor.
• August 09 is the day of memory of Panteleimon the Healer.
• August 19 - Transfiguration of Christ.
• Day of the Holy Trinity.

The festive divine service is conducted by the current rector, Archimandrite Kallinikos. Celebrations invariably acquire a wide scope, as a huge number of pilgrims and parishioners of the temple gather for the service. Tourists often attend.

The Inkerman cave monastery was unusually favored by crowned persons. Their donations were more than generous. Emperor Alexander II, for example, gave the monastery 1000 rubles. to commemorate the fallen in the battle of Sevastopol, and also donated 3 shares, the value of which amounted to 375 rubles.

A real miracle is the sudden appearance of water in the dry Holy Spring due to construction in quarries. Fresh water gushed out of the rock when, during the sweltering heat, Pope Clement selflessly prayed over it. People believe in the healing power of the spring and seek to bathe in it.

Church property, transferred to the Simferopol Museum at the closing of the monastery, and which became exhibits of its exhibitions, unexpectedly quickly dampened. After that everything had to be removed.

Hieromonk Agapit and Archimandrite Augustine, who died in 1996 in a car accident, are buried at the foot of the Monastyrskaya rock. The servant of the monastery, who arrived for the bodies, saw how the pathologist removed bullets from the body of the archimandrite. It was not possible to prove the contract killing version, but their grave in the church cemetery is especially revered.

Information for visitors

Entrance to the monastery is free, but you can make any amount of donation at the cash desk located at the gate. The recommended amount is at least 150 rubles. Also at the entrance to the monastery, you can hire a guide (from among the clergy of the monastery). Tours are held daily, in groups of up to 5 people, from 8.00 to 18.00, they last 20-30 minutes. The cost for all will be 500 rubles.

Before taking a tour of the monastery, it is necessary to clarify whether a service is being held at this time. Because during worship you can’t enter the temples, and they take place on the street.

If the tour was booked in advance by phone, then the pilgrims who ordered it will receive a discount.

It is forbidden to take photos and videos inside. Aprons (instead of skirts) and headscarves are offered for people who are inappropriately dressed. On the territory there are church shops where you can order a simple lunch, buy candles. In one of them you can buy monastic herbal tea and religious literature.

The monastery will accept as donations:

• warm shoes and clothes for men;
• flower vases, carpet paths or carpets for the improvement of the monastery;
• "Cahors";
• black material for making vestments.

Conclusion

The Inkerman St. Clement Cave Monastery is the personification of the strength of the spirit and the strength of the faith that has gone through hard trials that have not been able to break it. The unusually beautiful and colorful landscape of the area is an additional reason to visit these places. And first of all, an unusual ancient temple.

Article formatting: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about Inkerman cave monastery

Inkerman cave monastery - overview and excursion:

Inkerman St. Clement Cave Monastery located in the city of Inkerman, practically on the outskirts of Sevastopol. The easiest way to get to the Inkerman cave monastery is along the Simferopol highway. It is located near the Black River. Near the river there are signs to the monastery, then follow the signs.

Geographical coordinates of the Inkerman cave monastery on the map of Crimea GPS N 44.604320, E 33.607760.

Inkerman St. Clement Cave Monastery- one of the most ancient shrines of the Crimean peninsula. The first prayers were held in the caves of the monastery as early as 92 AD. The services were held by the 4th Pope Clement, who was sent from Rome to the Crimean quarries.
Today Inkerman cave monastery- the current temple in which services and rituals of worship are held. Leaving the car in the parking lot near the temple, walking for about 1 minute on foot, you get to the monastery gates. There is a ticket office near the gate. Entrance to the territory of the monastery is free, but at the box office you can order a tour of the monastery: the cost is 500 rubles for a group of no more than 5 people. Entering the gates of the temple, you will see a recently built panel dedicated to the saints, one way or another connected with the temple.

Walking from the panel only 10-15 meters, you get to the holy spring, from which the first miraculous deeds of St. Clement began. The spring completely dried up over 70 years ago due to construction work carried out in quarries on the other side of the mountain. Near the source there is an old cemetery, and it is through it that the ascent to the Kalamitskaya fortress and beautiful observation platforms to Inkerman Lake begin.

After the cemetery, there are the living quarters of the monks, and after them, a series of caves begins immediately, which are combined into Temples. In the first temple there is a cave, in which the first rites of the Crimean Christians took place. If you are taking a tour, then be sure to check whether the service is taking place now, because during the service the tour takes place on the street and you need to draw all the descriptions of the temple in your imagination, and then go inside and try to restore the picture from your memories.
Address of the Inkerman cave monastery: Sevastopol, Inkerman, PO Box No. 3.

It was founded in the first century AD. The history of the monastery began with the Roman Empire. In those years, Christians were persecuted in the Roman Empire. For sermons and prayers, one could end up in hard labor or simply be killed in a gladiatorial pit. One of the disciples of the holy Apostle Peter, Clement, preached and brought Christianity to people. During one of his sermons in Rome, he was captured and exiled to Chersonese, now Sevastopol, and from there sent to the quarries in the Inkerman region.

Clement upon arrival at hard labor, he quickly acquired a flock. There were about 2 thousand Christians from Greece and Rome at the quarries. One of the quarries, a small and comfortable cave, was chosen as the place for the meeting, where Clement preached, read prayers and performed Christian rites.
Since Clement was a disciple of the Apostle Peter, he was constantly monitored and almost every step he took was reported to the emperor. In those days, the emperor Troyan ruled, who became famous for excessive cruelty and hatred of Christians. They brought him a denunciation of Clement and his activities in the quarries. Troyan decided to kill Clement, and, according to one version, they tied Saint Clement to an anchor and threw him into the Black Sea under cover of night. It happened in 101 AD. In order to intimidate the Christians of Inkerman, there were several more executions of ordinary parishioners and the tightening of conditions for convicts.

A full-fledged monastery appeared in these places in the 8th-9th centuries, on the site of the first holy place where St. Clement preached. The name of the monastery was given in honor of the saint, and cells and the churchyard began to be built from a small cave, and soon the monastery became one of the most revered in the Crimea, with a large number of parishioners who came not only from the surrounding area, but also sailed from Greece, Italy, Russia and other countries.
In 1475, the Turks captured the Crimea. Most of the monasteries and temples were destroyed and plundered. New persecution of Christians began. So, under the yoke of the Turks, the temple falls into decay and practically stops receiving parishioners.
In 1850, the revival of the Inkerman cave monastery began. Several temples were built, cells were equipped, a beautiful courtyard was made. The arrangement of the temple was carried out by the artist and architect D.M. Strukov. He redecorated the temple. The entire ceiling was painted in silver paint, the temple was repainted and icons were painted.

The Russian-Turkish war, just four years after the opening, swept almost near the temple. The temple did not participate in the hostilities and its walls were not damaged, only the interior decoration was completely looted by Turkey's allies, namely the British.
After the Turkish war, the temple was restored and it was active until the mid-30s of the last century. With the advent of the communists, the temple was closed, and all church property was transferred to the Simferopol Museum.

In 1991, the temple was reopened for parishioners and guests of the Crimea. quite diverse and interesting, but perhaps the most significant of them is the Inkerman cave monastery. His age and historical meaning rightfully put it in the first place. Once on vacation in, or, be sure to visit the monastery. You will definitely feel spiritual cleansing and physical peace.

Inkerman cave monastery on the map of Crimea

Inkerman St. Clement Monastery is a unique Christian shrine that has preserved the spirit of the times and transmits the sacrament of service in cave churches to this day.

The monastery is hidden in the ruins of a medieval fortress. At first glance, the Christian shrine strikes with the grandeur of snow-white buildings against the backdrop of gloomy rocks that settled on the banks of the Chernaya River.

Clement - The Pope and the Slave in the Quarries

The famous stone of Inkerman has been mined since the beginning of the 1st century AD, in its quarries a cave monastery arose, the founder and patron of which is St. Clement.

Read about other Orthodox saints:

At the beginning of a new era, in the 20-30s, the son of Clement was born into the family of a wealthy Roman. While still a minor, the boy lost his mother and brothers, who disappeared during a trip to Athens, and then his father disappeared, who went in search of his wife and children. Clement grew up in luxury, studied philosophy, religion, trying to find the answer to where human souls disappear after death.

At the age of 24, the young man listened to the sermons of Jesus' disciple Barnabas, and then was introduced to the Apostle Peter, who baptized Clement.

In a wonderful way, a newly converted Christian among the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ meets his mother, then brothers and father.

Having become an associate of Peter, Clement is ordained a bishop and appointed by the Pope of Rome during the most severe persecution of Christians.

Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome

This time is filled with blessings and miracles of healings granted by God, which were like a thorn in the side of the Roman Emperor Trajan.

At the behest of the persecutor of Christians, Pope Clement was given an ultimatum - either he worships the Roman gods, or becomes a slave in the quarries of Chersonese. The bishop faithful to God goes into exile in the Crimean quarries, where by the strength of his spirit and confession of the sacrifice of Christ he wins more and more disciples for the Lord.

During a special heat, through the prayer of the righteous Clement, a source of fresh water flowed from the rock. The news of the miracle quickly spread throughout the area, attracting pilgrims, among whom were pagans.

Interesting! During his life in the caves near Chersonese, the Roman bishop baptized more than half a thousand pagans, who subsequently founded about 75 churches. At the same time, Christians smashed pagan idols, destroyed temples.

Among the caves and rocks grew small temple where liturgies were celebrated.

Enraged Emperor Trajan sends an envoy to Clement with a new ultimatum - renunciation of faith or death by drowning. Clement, who chose the second option, was tied to the anchor of the ship and drowned.

Death of Hieromartyr Clement

According to legend, in the ninth century, the Russian saints Cyril and Methodius arrived at the seashore and prayed earnestly. Through the prayer of the saints, the sea receded by almost 500 m, and the body of Clement was found in one of the grottoes. Some of the remains were left in the cave temple, and some were transported to Rome.

Highly appreciating the gift, the Pope gives permission to the Russian saints to translate the Bible into Russian, for before it was copied in Greek, Roman and Hebrew.

The emergence of the monastery

Interfeudal wars were fought in the Crimea, fortifications and fortresses were built, one of which, Kalamita, to this day guards the Inkerman St. Clement Monastery with its ruins.

Under the protection of Orthodox Byzantium, under whose patronage Crimea passed after the collapse of the Roman Empire, the monastery began to be built. Outbuildings and caves for monks' dwellings were cut down in the rocks. In one of the caves, a stone throne, an altar and even benches were justified. Steep stairs with steps carved into the rocks connected the premises of the temple.

Since 1475, after the capture of the peninsula by the Turks, the Christian monastery was in disrepair until the seventeenth century.

In the middle of the 17th century, a certain Father Jacob discovered holy relics while visiting an abandoned temple. However, none of the locals could remember who they belonged to.

The Turks tried several times to bury the remains, but they miraculously returned to the temple.

Wishing to take the holy, imperishable remains away from desecration, Father Jacob was stopped in a dream by Saint George the Victorious, who revealed to the priest the name of the owner of the relics.

Restoration in the XIX-XX centuries

After the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire, the restoration of the monastery began, but without any special financial investments.

In 1852 the church of St. Clement, behind it in 1867 - the church of St. Martinian, who suffered greatly during the Crimean War. Like a phoenix bird, the Clementine Monastery was revived each time, attracting more and more pilgrims.

New churches are opened, the monastery is visited by the Grand Dukes, among whom was Alexei Mikhailovich. In 1910, the monastery consisted of two buildings for the residence of monks, in one of them a house church was equipped, parochial school.

Inkerman Klimentovsky Monastery, early 20th century

The civil war, the revolution led to the fact that in 1929 the monastery was closed, but four faithful monks remained in the caves near it.

In memory of the battles around Inkerman during the Great Patriotic War, a monument to the soldiers of the 25th Chapaev division, located in the monastery courtyard, testifies.

The modern male monastery of St. Clement

The men's Klimentovsky Monastery owes its modern appearance to the late Archimandrite Augustine, during whose lifetime the cloisters were restored.

The entrance to the cave monastery is through sooty doors, guarded on both sides by the images of the archangels Michael and Gabriel.

A stone staircase leads to a common corridor, passing through which you can visit the cave temples:

• Martinovsky;
• Andreevsky;
• Klimentovsky.

Windows and doors cut into the walls once opened onto balconies. From their windows one can see small chapels, decorated with crosses, like swallows' nests, clinging to the cave rocks.

Wall of the Inkerman Monastery

On the left side, you can see the crypts with the skulls of the deceased monks, they remind the living that there is nothing valuable in the world, except for faith.

“From dust you are taken, you will turn to dust, and wealth, status or power will not save you.”

"We were just like you - you will be just like us."

According to legend, the church of St. Andrew was cut down by the keeper of the monastery, St. Clement. Low ceilings, an altar separated by a rocky partition, small windows for confession - all this is a living legend about the life of Christians in the catacombs.

Cave temple of St. Andrew the First-Called

In the form of a basilica, the main temple, the church of St. Clement. A distinctive feature of it are the Byzantine reliefs of the cross.

The ground temple of the Holy Trinity, which is being restored, keeps the relics of the holy founder of the monastery, the guardian angel of the Christian shrine.

Holy places on the Crimean land:

• Monastery of St. Theodore Stratilates in Bakhchisarai
• Toplovsky Convent of St. Paraskeva

In one of the rocks there is a dried-up spring, from which holy water flowed until recently. The extraction of the stone does not stop at the present time. One day, the monks noticed that there was no water in the source, and in another place, the workers watched in amazement as the dug pit quickly filled with water, flooding taps, machines, scoops.

People believe that bathing in this water can be healed. Cleanliness, a small pond in the yard, well-groomed flower beds are the result of the hard work of the monks living here.

How to get there, the schedule of services

From the general stop, known as the “Fifth Kilometer”, which can be reached from Sevastopol by trolleybuses, a bus or minibus number 104 runs to the Inkerman shrine, which will take tourists to the place of worship in half an hour.

Another option, more interesting in the warm season, will be a boat that departs from the Grafskaya Pier of Sevastopol, which will take you to the monastery in 40-50 minutes.

You can visit Clement's temples daily from 9.00 to 18.00

Services are held every Friday, weekends and holidays. The morning service starts at 7:00 am and the evening service at 5:00 pm.

Cave St. Clement Monastery in Inkerman

As a child, I loved to ride the train. I especially liked the section of the Sevastopol-Mekenzevy Gory railway, where six tunnels swallow cars in turn, where mountains cut by caves look like honeycombs, and in the Inkerman area, a rock with windows and balconies hangs directly above the tracks. This place has always radiated some kind of mystery. Inkerman St. Clement Cave Monastery.

During its centuries-old history, the monastery was repeatedly revived. Its last restoration began in 1991.

The monastery is located in the vicinity, in the city of Inkerman, on the right bank of the Black River. The ground buildings of the monastery nestled at the foot of the Monastery rock, the cave rooms were carved into the rock itself, and at the top, on the plateau, the ruins of the ancient fortress of Kalamita were preserved.

There are several ways to get to the Inkerman Monastery from different districts of Sevastopol: by regular boat from Grafskaya pier, by train from the railway station, by shuttle bus from the center or 5 km of Balaklava Highway, by regular intercity bus from the bus station, as well as auto or bicycle transport.

The exact date of the foundation of the monastery is unknown. There is an opinion among scientists that the monastery appeared in the VIII-IX centuries. during the mass resettlement of Christian icon worshipers who fled from Byzantium from the persecution of iconoclasts. Although some scholars believe that the monastery arose much later in the XIV-XV centuries.

Studies have shown that the caves of temples and cells of hermits were carved into the rock at different times. The most ancient is, perhaps, the cave carved by St. Clement himself, the Pope of Rome, who was exiled in 98 by Emperor Trajan to the backyards of the Roman Empire, in a quarry near Chersonesus for preaching the Christian faith. Here he continued to preach, and in 101, by order of Trajan, he was drowned in the sea.

There are a huge number of man-made caves in the Inkerman rocks. They served the local inhabitants as housing and utility rooms. There are especially many caves, located in several tiers, in the neighboring Zagaytanskaya Monastery rock. There may have been a medieval settlement there.

Historians believe that in the Middle Ages there was a concentration of monastic life in the Inkerman area. About 30 cave temples and 9 monastic complexes were discovered here. One of these temples is located at some distance from the main buildings of the Inkerman Monastery, to the left of the tunnel leading to the holy monastery. This temple, consecrated in 1905 in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. The temple ceased to operate shortly after the establishment of Soviet power in the Crimea, and to date, services have not been conducted in it.

Walking up the stairs, which still knew the feet of medieval monks, we approached the entrance to the main territory of the monastery. Inkerman St. Clement Monastery is unique in many ways. Even its entrance is unusual - it is a tunnel under the railway. Like a portal, it takes the traveler from the Inkerman industrial area to the territory of peace and divine grace.

Tunnel under the railway - the entrance to the territory of the monastery

There are five active churches in the monastery: three cave ones - in honor of the Hieromartyr Clement, St. Martin the Confessor, St. Andrew the First-Called and two above ground - the Holy Trinity and the Great Martyr Panteleimon the Healer; a fraternal building, various utility and ancillary premises, a monastery cemetery, a holy spring, which is not currently in operation. According to legend, this spring was discovered by St. Clement. The spring was damaged during the development of a nearby limestone quarry in the last decades of the 20th century. As a result, water began to flow into the quarry, forming a lake.

From the moment of its foundation, the monastery existed until the capture of the Crimea by the Turks in 1475. After several centuries of oblivion, it revived again after the annexation of Crimea to Russia. The Inkerman kinovia (monastic commune) in the name of the Holy Hieromartyr Clement was founded in 1850. In 1852, the main temple of the monastery was consecrated - a cave temple in honor of St. Clement. In the Middle Ages, it was dedicated to George the Victorious. The second of the active cave churches was consecrated in honor of St. Martin the Confessor in 1867. Saint Martin is another Pope who was exiled in 655 to Chersonese and found his last refuge here. The third temple was consecrated in honor of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called in 1900. It is considered the oldest of the cave temples of the monastery. Apostle Andrew is also related to Ancient Chersonese. According to legend, in the 60s of the 1st century, he traveled all over Tavria preaching the Gospel and converted many pagans, including Chersonesites, to the Christian faith.

Three cave temples are united by a common entrance with a staircase leading to a common corridor. Despite the fact that these are still cave rooms, it is light in the temples thanks to several windows and balcony doors cut into the right wall of the corridor. Climbing up the stairs, on the left we saw the ossuary. This is a small crypt with several rows of skulls behind glass, on which is written: "We were like you, you will be like us." It is very impressive, I can imagine what feelings the visitors of the Ossuary in the Czech Kutná Hora experience.

The two ground temples of the monastery are located outside the courtyard. The Church of the Holy Trinity was consecrated in 1867. In the temple is the main shrine of the monastery - a particle of the relics of St. Clement.