Topolevka - a village surrounded by orchards, green forests, high mountains.
In the last century, the Greek village was called Toplou, which means "a place, country, countryside, far away, on the hillside Karatau is Toplovsky Trinity Paraskevievsky nunnery. The fate of this monastery is very interesting.
monastery is situated in a picturesque place: around - a dense forest, through which one can see cliffs beside a beautiful river valley Wet Indole. In the Middle Ages, Christians have built their shrines here. So far, around Topolevka ruins of the ancient Greek Church, which is still in the XIX century services were held on the day of the Holy Prophet Elijah, and the Armenian Church, it stands on top of a hill krutobokogo and clearly visible from the road. The church was built and existed in the XVI - XVIII centuries, when the Armenians had lived here, after the Armenians out of these places in 1778, the temple was abandoned. Above the entrance to it was a picture of the Holy Mother and Child, in the right - the icon of the Archangel Gabriel. In 1905, the temple was renovated by the monastery.
Place for Toplovskogo monastery chose Archbishop Innocent during his trip to the Crimea.
Lord spoke about the medicinal springs Chokrak-Saglyk-su (the Tartar "source of living, healthy water"), located here. This source was venerated saints and Christians, and Muslims and was known not only in Crimea, but also outside it. Besides local people to remember the ancient tradition that is here has gone through its last agony holy prepodobnomucheni-ca Paraskeva. Her name and called the source.
Paraskevi was born in Rome in the II century, in the reign of the emperor Antoninus. Her parents, devout Christians have long had no children and prayed to the Lord, asking him to give them a child. His only daughter was named in honor of her birthday - Friday (Friday the Greeks called the sixth day of the week). Paraskeva from childhood in a spirit of Christian faith and piety differed. After the death of her parents she had distributed all the property to the poor and went to preach the gospel of Christ to the pagan peoples. In Rome, the center of paganism and pagan education, she performed for the first time to preach about Christ the Savior, here underwent the first of suffering in the name of Christ. At Saint Paraskeva told the emperor Antoninus, accusing it of disseminating his subjects hated his faith. The king ordered him to lead Saint Paraskeva, caresses, and threats to try to force her to abandon the faith in Christ, but to no avail. Then the king commanded to bring the Saint Paraskeva torment: on her head, wearing a red-hot copper helmet, and then forced to enter into a cauldron filled with boiling tar and oil, but a saint to remain intact. Seeing this, the king doubted whether the hot resin and oil, and ordered the holy Paraskieva pour it molten liquid. From boiling oil tsar scalded face, he felt a terrible pain and instantly blinded. Then the king turned to the saint with a prayer: "true servant of God, have mercy on me and bring light ocham mine, so I could believe that God whom you preach!" Holy enlightened king and other pagan teachings of the Christian faith and was released to the world.
In another country, she came to the king Asklipiyu, confessed herself a Christian and began to preach Christ's teachings. Sermon outraged Asklipiya worshiped pagan gods. In the country was the custom of giving condemned to death to be devoured by the terrible serpent, who lived near the city, and Saint Paraskeva also sent him to the wolves. But she remembered the words of the Lord Jesus: "Serpent take, If ye that mortal ispiyut, not harm them" (Mark 16, 17-18). Fearlessly approaching holy to the terrible snake, it dawned on the cross, and the monster fell apart in two and disappeared. Such an amazing miracle that St. Paraskeva, reason with the Gentiles. Asklipy and the people of that city believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Paraskevi went to preach Christ's teachings to other nations. Finally came to the holy city, which reigned someone Taras. She appeared before him to preach the gospel of Christ. Tarasius subjected her to many a terrible ordeal, but seeing that nothing can turn from the holy faith in Christ, ordered to cut off her head, honest. So Saint Martyr Paraskeva captured their apostolic works martyr's death for the name of Christ. The relics of St. Paraskeva located on Mount Athos monastery in the Russian Panteleimonovskom.
In Crimea, a holy spring was found by an icon depicting St. Paraskeva. In 1778, Greek settlers took her in Mariupol, where she remained in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. According to legend, this icon saved the city from cholera.
In the fifties of the XIX century at the source of St. Paraskeva settled Bulgarian girl Constantine. She lived in a neighboring village Kishlav (now the village of Kursk) was a simple, pious and hardworking girl. Once, when kneading dough for bread, she heard the voice of the Lord, and went home. Seven years Kiziltashsky lived alone in a cave, eating meager handouts, dressed in rags. Once there appeared wandering pilgrims, Constantine moved to Toplou, she dreamed and prayed tirelessly on the basis of women's monastery and church of St. Paraskeva. For the sake of realizing his dream went to the neighboring villages, trying to raise funds for the construction of the church. People who say that the opening of the monastery there is no money, she explained that the money for other people. She had raised funds from a source postroli chapel. Settled here a few sisters of the deceased read the psalms, prayers were. Constantine to the end of his life remained at the monastery. No one knew exactly how old she is, but she seemed very old, ugly, small, full of wrinkles, she attracted the attention of his black eyes shining. Was illiterate, did not know the prayers and prayed in their own words. Before his death, Constantine took the veil with the name of Paraskeva. She umerlav 1874 and was buried in a forest near the monastery, above the mound set a modest monument to remind the sisters of the first labored spirit of prayer and faith to building their monastery and the construction of the Church of St. Paraskeva prepodobnomuche-Nitsa. Unfortunately, her tomb has not survived, after the closure of the monastery was ruined and destroyed. But preserve the memory of this extraordinary woman, an ascetic, through the efforts and fervent prayers that were born in the Crimean land two monasteries - Kiziltashsky and Toplovsky. Property owned
Toplou sisters Zotov, who wished to donate half the proceeds from their land in favor of females. One of the sisters, Angelina Alekseevna, ceramic tile in the marriage, appealed to the archbishop and the Tauride Simferopolskoe Alexis, asking her to open the estate Toplou women's monastery.
Toplovsky monastery possessed sacred relics donated by him at different times. Brethren Panteleimonovskogo monastery bestowed Toplovskoi Paraskevievskoi monastery particle honest and Holy Cross, relics of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon and the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva.
Key to the prosperity of the monastery became a labor of nuns. None of the sisters and novices did not sit idle, they maintained perfect order in the monastery, caring for the flower garden. To acquire land in the valley of the river were built two farms. There, the nuns plant a vegetable garden and orchard, were engaged in arable farming. In the meadows they mowed hay, dried, and then loaded onto wagons and taken to a monastery, where he was kept in the stacks. In three miles from the monastery was another farmhouse Imalaktash, and kept cattle. Later they built a stone house, plant a vegetable garden and orchard, and in the woods made a apiary. The sisters themselves sewed necessary clothing, engaged in plastering and painting, studied painting and gilding on wood. Thanks to the hard work of the nuns farming monastery grew stronger.
But troubled times always raise from the depths of the human soul the most evil, and then, forgetting about the shrines, people think about enrichment. January 17, 1919 burglars broke into Igumen rooms, broke the desk and chiffonier, and banging with rifle butts on the floor, demanded that the treasurers - sisters Sergey - the monastery treasury. It was then, most likely, and were kidnapped monastic sanctuary - Kazan icon of the Virgin and the casket with the relics.
Changes in the life of the monastery began with the establishment of Soviet power in Crimea, where the objects were removed from the gold and silver. In 1928 the monastery was closed permanently. Nuns were dispersed, especially disaffected sent to Simferopol. The territory selhozarteli created a farm with a symbolic name "Bezbozhnik. Employees of the farm in a short time destroyed the great monastery farm, which is created by decades of hard-won Paraskevievskogo nuns of the monastery. During the Great Patriotic War in the station houses headquarters of the Nazis staged. In 1942, he defeated the guerrillas, destroying communications and important documents.
Revival only in the Crimea nunnery started in 1992 when the congregation sat down and Training Topolevka decided to create a community of Orthodox temple "Joy of All Who Sorrow." From Odessa St. Michael's monastery brought a gift of five icons: the Savior, Mary, Nicholas, Mother of God Kasperovskoy and Healer Panteleimon. The monastery is stored and other holy: ark with the relics of the Kiev-Pechersk saints in the shape of a cross.
In 2002 the monastery celebrated 10 years since its revival. Gradually, erected buildings, the monastery is decorated, prettier. Restored chapel over the tomb of the first Mother Superior Paraskeva, opened a new landscaped swimming pool, which fall into the water, not only healing the source of St. Paraskeva, but two others in the woods - St. George and the Three Saints, was erected next to another chapel. In the monastery and miraculous healings are taking place today, in which this sacred trust, and other evidence of the grace assistance to pilgrims. In a special notebook people who received healing from ailments, write their stories, say grace to the Lord.
Particular interest is a pilgrims' cave Constantine ", while guides explain that Constantine did not live here, and arranged his own hands in the dugout. Penetrate the pussy in the crease of the ravine is difficult: you have to squeeze into lying down. Inside, it resembles a cross, height - a man's height. Obviously, here in seclusion praying shimnitsy.
Currently live in the abode of thirty nuns. His sisters his farm: a garden, cows, goats, chickens, a small apiary. Milk and cheese nuns are sharing with retirees sat Educational, without requiring any payment, to understand how difficult life is now elderly. Dreamed of hosting a pond and breed fish in it, to restore the mill and water supply, which is filled with water of mountain streams - out of him before all the gardens watered. But most of all nuns dreaming handle garden, which in the past century was the pride of the monastery. They believe that their work and the protection of St. Paraskeva help revive this wonderful place.
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