Mountains east of Crimea is very beautiful. Some of them are composed of limestone, while others are coral reefs, had grown up on the bottom of ancient oceans warm.
Here you'll see jagged peaks, sharp peaks, rocky cliffs, gorges. Only occasionally make way for the rock, forming a small valley. In one of these valleys, situated in a rocky ridge Kizil-Tash (in Tartar "red stone"), near the village of Krasnokamenka a monastery was founded.
Tradition says that here in the Middle Ages was the summer residence of Archbishop Stefan Surozh. Not known for certain where it was located, but these places have long been inhabited. People are attracted by fertile land, mild climate and sources of clean water. In Kiziltashsky Valley, archaeologists found a bronze vessel in the form of Aquarius, made in the X-XIV centuries, many remnants of ceramic pottery VIII-XI centuries. In the mountains, found an ancient road leading from the valley towards the Old Crimea, by the Armenian monastery Surb-Hach. On its ancient say deep ruts left by the wheels of carts in rock. To this day the remains of the foundation of rough stone with limestone mortar.
Channel is considered a healing for the peoples of different faiths. He was in the cave, the water from the upper hole fell into the pool. In 1825 there was an icon of the Mother of God. Tartar shepherd of Otuz once grazed cattle to escape the inclement weather, went into the cave and found the source of the waters of the icon, writing on the blackboard. Shepherd gave the icon of the Greek merchant Plastaru, and he took her Theodosia Archpriest Joseph. The ancient icon in silver Riza was transferred to the church of St. Stephen. The event drew to a holy place of Christians who began to gather for worship on August 15 and the day of the Assumption of the Virgin and May 9 on the day of St. Nicholas. Slab carved with the face of the holy altar served in that kind of chapel.
at the source in the cave for some time lived a girl Bulgarian Constantine. When Kiziltashe stopped two errant Bogomoltsa, she moved to the tract Topľa, where he founded Trinity Paraskevievsky convent . There, Constantine took the veil and was baptized Paraskeva.
Andronicus Panteleimon and built a modest dwelling and adobe house of worship, which became officiant. In 1856 Kiziltash visited Archbishop Innocent, he blessed this small little church of St. Stephen Surozh. By Bishop Innocent called eminent and wealthy citizens of Feodosia and Sudak for opening in Kiziltashe Kin.
By decision of the Holy Synod in Kiziltashe created male coenobite monastery. The real start of the monastery built with the advent ieromonaha Parfenov, as translated from Balaklava George Monastery , he became head Kiziltashsky Kin in 1859 and was its rector until his tragic death in 1866.
from caves in the rock became a hermitage, with two hotels, a church, with the cells and the different services. Wood turned around in the garden, the garden, the vineyard, a cereal box, knocked the mill at the height of the mountains, led a herd of horses and cattle, pilgrims poured into Kiziltashsky Kin on the days consecrated by old memories. Energy, enterprise and economic experience Parthenios done it in some way, the head of the neighboring owners. He was a past master in all: the architect, engineer, carpenter, a stove, a gardener, herdsman, what you want. This little Kiziltashsky Peter the Great in monk robes. Sought his advice, he was assigned the case. Returned from visiting Kiziltash Pustynka, fascinated by her wild beauty and simple-hearted kindliness clever master ».
Abbot Parfeny enjoyed great prestige, valued his talent organizer. In 1863 he was invited to Toplovsky monastery for the construction of the temple. The temple was built in two months. Contemporaries speak of the abbot as a man of principle, would tolerate lies, laziness and theft, has direct and coherent.
In those days, Zander was a large village, which was a mostly gardeners. Owners of large estates themselves do not engage in their gardens and vineyards, hiring managers, usually taraktashskih Tatars. Landowners themselves came in Sudak in the summer to relax by the sea and sell crops. But often managers do not care about the estates entrusted to them, but about their own well-being, bringing the economy to a deplorable state. Abbot Parfeny exposed the deception of some of them, but it cost him his life.
Jubilee Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000, ranked Abbot Parthenios the saints, September 17, honors his memory.
After the death of Abbot Parthenios in Kin was appointed the new rector of Abbot Nicholas, who ran her over 20 years. He was a worthy successor Parthenios. Due to his merit cloister strengthened. In 1870 the stone church was built with a bell tower, covered with iron. It was consecrated in 1871 in the name of the Assumption of the Mother of God. But this church is not heated, so the service it performed only in the summer. There above the altar, set the icon of the Virgin, found in the source. In place of the first mud church built in 1885 and the second, winter church in honor of St. Stephen Surozh. When this church was the vestry, for the sacristan's cell, on the north side built a cell for novices. Not immediately, but the monastery equipped and prettier. At the monastery was built: the stone house for the abbot's room with kitchenette and communion bread, a hotel for pilgrims, there were six rooms, five fraternal lodges with individual cells of a workshop and outbuildings. On the tops of the surrounding mountains have established a huge cross, indicating the way pilgrims.
Bogomoltsa frequently visited Kin, located in the most beautiful place in Crimea. They were attracted to healing springs of the monastery. By the power of St. Stephen's in the cave led oak staircase. Near the cave was constructed glass pavilion, where the established icons of St. Stephen Surozh and St. Nicholas. Not far from the monastery from the ground hit yet another source of its water containing sulfur, are gradually deposited curative mud, which also attracted people suffering from various ailments.
Before the outbreak of World War II in the Monastery has experienced strife between brothers, which was divided into two warring camps. However, the overall trouble reconciling all the monks and novices are united in a difficult time. They assisted front of medicines, bandages, collected gifts for soldiers.
After the establishment of Soviet power, monks and novices from the monastery, organized labor community and appealed to the commission for the separation of church and state in Feodosiya Revolutionary Committee with a request to transfer their property Assumption and Seraphim Church for the services. In 1921 the community were handed over to the church, located on the territory of the monastery.
In the same 1921 in Kiziltashsky Kin created child labor colony. The monks were invited to lead in her agricultural activities. In 1923 he decided to close Kiziltashsky monastery, in all its churches ceased to worship. Believers of the villages Koktebel Otuz, Izyumovka, Karagoz repeatedly requested to convey to them the church Kiziltashsky monastery, but each time were refused.
In 1924, instead of the children's colony in the monastery have formed a labor colony named after Kalinin. The church was reconstructed under the club, but work in the colony did not go well: the relationship between its members were complex, often quarrel, worked out very badly. As a result of these troubles colony eliminated and replaced in 1927 created a new agricultural association. Assumption Church became a hostel for members of the Artel.
Father Sophrony (Dubinin), the leader of the monastery before its closure, was exiled to Chernigov, where he died in 1928.
After the Great Patriotic War in Kiziltashe was created arsenal for the storage of nuclear warheads for the Black Sea Fleet ships. This whole area was closed and strictly guarded, the monastery was not available for the faithful, archaeologists, researchers and tourists. In 1991, after the collapse of the CIS, the nuclear stock was taken, but the military part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine remained.
new period in the history of the monastery of St. Stephen Kiziltashsky Surozh began in 1998. Began a difficult and long the revival of the Christian monastery, which has not been completed yet. First, restore the cave to the source of St. Stephen Surozh. But the monastery, as is known, begins with the church, a new church was dedicated in honor of the Kiev-Pechersk saints, the founders of monasticism in Russia. Today living in the monastery abbot father Nikon and a few novices. They are busy cleaning the cemetery, have services and believe that soon the monastery reborn in all its former glory. Despite the fact that the proximity of a military unit made several difficult visits to the monastery (you need to present the documents), here come the believers.
road from Kiziltasha to Sudak is very beautiful, but to enjoy this beauty can only passenger, the driver - should be careful. The road then dives into the valley, surrounded by fantastic rocks, it climbs the mountain slopes, covered with green forest.
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