Surb-Khach monastery in Crimea: features and location

Of particular interest to travelers is the Old Crimea, covering the foothills of the Monastery Mountains. At the very top of this picturesque wooded area, you can see the outlines of the apostolic church. It is here that Surb Khach is located - The oldest functioning Armenian monastery.

In the XIII century, with the consent of the Horde khans, a large number of Armenians moved to Tauris from the town of Ani, destroyed by a strong earthquake. They found their refuge in the town of Crimea. There is a legend that the spiritual leader of the Armenians Hovhannes Sebastatsi saw a huge cross of fire in the sky, which he considered a good omen and decided to build a large monastery on this site. Hence its name - Surb-Khach, which means “holy cross”.

Together with his brother, Hovhannes Sebastatsi bought a 50-hectare plot from the Genoese and in 1358 proceeded to erect the monastery, and it was decided to erect the main relic of the Armenian people - a cross from the temple of the city of Ani on its roof.

There is an opinion among historians that this monastery became a kind of symbol of resistance against the conversion of Armenians to Catholicism. And so began the history of the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, for many dozens and even hundreds of years it was associated with destruction - as a result of attacks from the Genoese, Tatars and Turks, the building was constantly destroyed and rebuilt again, the fraternal corps was rebuilt many times and new cells appeared.

Throughout its history, the Surb-Khach monastery has been inactive only twice. The first time happened when the Armenians were expelled from Crimea to the Zadonsky steppes.The second case occurred already during the Soviet era, when in 1925 a tuberculosis dispensary was founded on the site of the monastery, and a year later - a pioneer camp for schoolchildren.

During the Second World War, the monastery was completely abandoned and gradually began to decay and collapse. This continued until the 70s of the last century. At that time, archaeological excavations began on the territory of the complex and the building was partially restored, and a sanatorium was built in the premises of the former cell.

Spiritual life returned to Surb Khach only in the early 90s of the last centurywhen the cross was again erected over the temple, and services began. In 2002, the monastery was officially handed over to the Armenian Orthodox Church, but it was not opened until 2008, when electricity was supplied, access roads were arranged, and a rector was appointed. Shortly before that, crosses with the encrypted inscription “Surb-Khach” were brought from Armenia, they were installed near the doors of the temple. Today the monastery is active.

Surb-Khach for Orthodox Armenians is a man’s abode, women are strictly forbidden to enter here. Only the ruins of the old building are open for visiting - the fraternal building, the refectory room, as well as the courtyard. In ancient times, this monastery was quite famous, it housed its own school, the most famous sacred books and spiritual memos corresponded in the monastery. Even the attack of the Turkish troops in 1475 did not stop the educational and moral life in the Surb Khach monastery.

Until the 18th century, the monastery remained the main center of pilgrimage for believing Armenians throughout the Crimea, as well as the Northern Black Sea region. It is known that, initially, ministers lived in one common cell, but as the number of novices increased, the number of internal living quarters increased. The rooms themselves were small - 2x2 meters, with a fireplace in every room.

Now it’s hard to imagine how you can live in such a limited space, but do not forget that in the cells, the monks only slept and read prayers, and this does not require much space at all.

In a separate tower, a room was set up for the abbot who held a liturgy every Sunday. He remained in his cell in complete solitude from Monday to Saturday and prepared for the service, after which he went down the small stairs and went straight to the altar.

The gates to the temple are decorated with majestic crosses, near which you can see tombstones - these are ancient burials of the first novices and the founder of Surb Khach. According to the customs of the Armenian church, being buried near the entrance to a monastery or temple is always considered a great honor.

One of the old frescoes depicting the Virgin is visible above the entrance, but it has been preserved very poorly. According to documents that have reached us, in the old days there were a lot of murals in the monastery, but now they are in a very deplorable state, and the outlines of the saints faces are almost invisible.

There is no iconostasis in Armenian churches - only the icon of the Mother of God adorns the altar. The place itself is separated from the rest by a small curtain, in this regard, Armenian religious traditions are very close to the early Christian ones. The room has a font for the baptismal rite, as well as an area where you can put a burning candle if you wish - the candles are placed in peace in order to keep the peace and health of the candles.

The Surb Khach temple houses a famous icon called "Blinking Jesus." All over the world there are only 3 sketches from the original, and the original itself is nothing but the shroud that Jesus was covered with immediately after his death, and on which the imprint of his face was preserved. One such canvas is stored in Surb Khach, the second in Georgia, and the third in the Vatican.

The icon is made so that when you look at it from any position, Jesus either looks at the person, then his eyelids are closed, then they are full of blood and tears. This image makes a truly lasting impression on everyone who sees it.

The monastery garden, without a doubt, is one of the main attractions of the monastery. Of course, its beauty faded over several centuries - in previous centuries it was famous for its trees, there were several beautiful fountains here, but only two have survived to our times. Fountains look like rectangular structures made of stone, on the surface of which the carved patterns are clearly visible. The garden is located on several terraces, stairs leading to them, which are now in a dilapidated condition, lead to them.

Near the monastery in the middle of summer celebrate Vardavar is the Armenian analogue of Ivan Kupala Day, and on holidays there are exhibitions of works of Armenian folk crafts and concerts of folklore groups. Tourists from all over the near abroad gather here, and any person can attend events regardless of his gender, nationality and religious faith.

There are strict rules of conduct on the territory of the manor of the monastery:

• parking the car is allowed only on separate designated areas for this, travel to the protected area is prohibited for all types of vehicles, in addition to official vehicles;
• camping is possible only by prior agreement with the abbot and in strictly established areas;
• inclusion of non-religious music is strictly prohibited;
• cutting down trees, grazing farm animals and birds, mowing grass, picking fruits and plants in the garden is not allowed;
• walking with dogs is possible exclusively in muzzles and on a leash;
• the territory of the temple itself can be entered only accompanied by the ministers of the monastery;
• visitors must wear appropriate attire.

Currently, reconstruction works are continuing at the monastery’s premises, so entry to the following construction sites is prohibited:

• flights of stairs leading from the first to the second floor;
• towers and basements;
• first floor of the fraternal corps.

Surb Khach is located in a rather picturesque place - it is as if lost in a foothill deciduous forest. Near it there are no residential buildings and highways, the place is extremely secluded and calm. No city noises reach here, only trills of birds and church melody coming from the temple are heard.

The monastery is located in the Kirovsky district of the Old Crimea, but this is only a common address. In order to find the right path, you need more specifics. The best landmark can be called the foot of the Monastery Mountain. It is located between the famous Crimean resorts - Sudak and Feodosia.

Hiking travelers usually go to the Stary Krym station, after which they move along the highway in a westerly direction. In the place where it intersects with Lenin Street, you should turn in the direction of the mountain and leave the village along the very first lane (this is about 700 meters). After crossing the small rivulet Churuk-Su, you should go along the road, which takes travelers to historical and spiritual treasure of the entire Armenian people.

See how to get to the Surb Khach monastery in Crimea in the next video.