Ukrainian Crimea is not only underground bunkers of the war time and wonderful landscapes but also amazing cave cities. In the south-west part of the peninsular mountains have steep slopes from the south and flat ones from the north, they form an inaccessible plateau that was similar to those people used in old times for making fortresses. Today we want to show you those ancient places of the Crimea which are preserved best of all.
Uspensky Cave Monastery. The cells of the monks are cut out in the rock.
The monastery was founded not later than in the VIII century by Byzantine monks-iconodules. During the first defence of Sebastopol in the time of the Crimean war 1854-1855 its cells, pilgrim houses and other premises were used as a hospital. Those who died from injuries were buried at the cemetery of the monastery. In 1921 the monastery was closed by the Soviet authorities.
When Germans, Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks resettled from the Crimea to other regions of the USSR in 1941 (and Crimean Tatars – in 1944) the territory of the monastery began to be used as a mental hospital. Only in 1993 it was given back to the Orthodox Church. Three out of its five temples were restored as well as its cells, deanery and belfry. Today the monastery undergoes reconstruction – it is planned to be enlarged.
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