Overview of the cave monastery "Shuldan" in the Crimea

Travelers exploring the main attractions of the Crimean peninsula should not ignore the monastery of Christ the Savior “Shuldan”. You should definitely visit it, imbued with the spirit of ancient history and reflect on the perishability of being near the shrine. Before the travelers visiting the temple, a very picturesque view from the heights of the surroundings of the Shulsky valley opens, over the mountains covered with green vegetation.

The monastery building consists of 20 caves, which are hollowed out in the rock, and the main temple with an area of ​​about 20 m². The cave city is located on a rock massif and consists of a cave monastery of Christ the Savior, which is currently being restored by the hermits themselves. Near the monastery are caves, grottoes. Near the shrine there is a spring with a small font in the rock. The entrance to the cave, in which the modern hermit lives, is clearly visible from below.

Tourists from far away can see an unusual structure - a tower built of stones and decorated with a brilliant golden dome. It majestically rises above the visor of the entrance to the main temple and harmoniously complements the surrounding picture. The tower was built recently, but has become a place of constant visits by tourists. The entrance to the tower is completely free, and anyone can come and admire it close.

The descent and ascent to the monastery looks like overcoming obstacles, especially the flimsy wooden staircase.

"Shuldan" refers to cave monasteries. It was founded in the VIII century BC. e. monks who fled from Byzantium. These times are known as the period of the struggle of the emperors of Byzantium Leo and Constantine from the Isaurian dynasty with icons. Refugee monks settled near modern Sevastopol and laid a monastery here. Perhaps they had experience building such monasteries in caves in their homeland, in Athos.

The monastery existed until the XV-XVI centuries. The monks lived modestly, privately engaged in viticulture and made wine, about 300 thousand liters of wine were produced per year. This occupation was the main income of the monks. To this day, frescoes dated to the XII-XIII centuries have been preserved on the walls of caves. Now the monastery is home to modern monks who are engaged in its restoration. In the monastery they equipped cells for monks and monks, outbuildings and an open main temple for pilgrims.

The monastery became a haven for people in difficult life situations who abused alcohol or drugs. In the recent past, monks of the monastery helped such people undergo rehabilitation and return to normal life. After that, these people remained in the monastery and helped the monks to improve it, and it is not surprising that everywhere in every small grotto there is a place for housing and there is a simple garment (dishes, teapots, trestle beds with bedspreads, tables). But among the hermits there are also foreign clergymen.

With the joint efforts of hermits and monks, a chapel tower was built, located above the entrance to the caves of the monastery.

The main temple is made like a basilica, it was hollowed out inside the rock, the arches resemble a box in shape, and the altar is separated by an arch. In the center there is a recess for setting the throne, on which one of the church officers was to sit. On the north side you can enter the chapel and see on its walls frescoes with the image of the Virgin. The structure of the temple is such that all rooms are located near a long common terrace. If you take a walk on the terrace, you can enjoy wonderful views of the Shulskaya Valley.

Visitors to the temple can stroll through the fenced gallery, which offers a picturesque view of the mountains, and go through the carved doors to the cave temple. This place is richly decorated with icons and paintings made in Orthodox traditions. In the church you can put candles, pray for help and touch the shrine yourself. On the walls of the temple are texts of prayers. And leaving the monastery, you can go down to the cave of a modern hermit.

The font is a small hollow hollowed out in the rock, water trickles out of the rock into it, and the font gradually fills up. A small icon is installed above the font. In the font you can wash, and especially the bold can even swim. The water temperature in the font is + 4-5 ° С. On the way there are beautiful grottoes. Ivy twists along the rocks. Under the rock you can find a spring, and draw water. Going down the mountain is always harder than going up, and going back usually takes a little longer.

On the left you can enjoy a view of Mangup.

Around the temple are small hollowed out caves, in which there are stairs and everything necessary for the hermits to live. It will be especially interesting for tourists inspection of the burial place of the monks. If you look closely, then in the small openings in the floor and walls you can see the alleged places for the burial of the dead. The body was placed in a niche, covered with a heavy stove, and only after 3 years the remains were removed to the ossuary.

There were no electric wires to the monastery, so the monks, as in old times, use kerosene lamps. For heating the temple and the cell in the winter, firewood is used, which is with great difficulty harvested on a plateau, and then with the help of special and very primitive devices they are lowered down. If you go a little towards Ternovka, you can also see similar caves. There is monastery Chelter. There are about fifty such caves, they are located in 4 tiers.

Usually, tourists prefer to use public transport to get to the cave monastery. To do this, in Sevastopol, at the Zapadnaya bus station, you need to catch a bus with the destination station "Zalesnoye village". It will be necessary to leave earlier, at the Avtomobilnaya station, the dam of the reservoir will help to navigate. Then walk along the direction of the village of Ternovka. On the right is a dirt road leading to the monastery.

Currently, unfortunately, there are no special excursion tours to the Shuldan Monastery, tourists and believers enter its territory freely and free of charge. Upstairs, where the monastery is located quite windy, so it is better to throw a windbreaker or light jacket. Going on a trip you need to have athletic shoes. And for those who are afraid of heights, it is better to think about the expediency of the campaign. The path to the monastery is laid along steep mountain trails and not all fences are available.

Visitors to the Shuldan Cave Monastery will experience real peace and tranquility, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings. But when visiting the temple, some negligent travelers leave mountains of garbage after themselves, and this spoils the impression of visiting such a picturesque place. Nevertheless, a true connoisseur will not pay attention to such trifles and capture beautiful views of Ternovka, the reservoir, vineyards on the slope on the camera.

See the video below for an excursion to the Shuldan Monastery.