The Great Martyr Anastasia Hermitage of the Assumption Monastery near the Village of Predushchelnoe (Kachi-Kalyon)

Status: Hermitage for men
Location: On the right bank of the Kacha River not far from the Village of Predushchelnoe


The Hermitage history

Kachi-Kalyon is a cave monastery. It was founded in VIII–X c. in a big grotto with the spring, the waters of which were considered curative. This may be the monastery that is mentioned in the Russian Tsar’s diploma, in which there is the information about allotting money to four Crimean temples, including the one of “Anastasia Christ’s Martyr”.

The rock, in which the Monastery is made, looks like a ship, in the upper part of the bow the crossing cracks made a cross. This fact explains the name: Kachi-Kalyon — “the Cross Ship”. The Monastery was rather big, here are preserved the remains of churches, monastic cells and utility rooms. They were cut in several tiers and were connected with stairs, passages and terraces. Around the Monastery in the Middle Ages there was a big settlement, the residents of which made wine: here en masse there are preserved wine pressing machines — tarapans. Still one can see the outlines of the estates, though the life in the settlement stopped with the Christians’ leaving Crimea.

In the south-western part of the settlement in a separately standing stone St. Sophia Church is made. In the horseshoe-shaped apse one has cut out one-step synthronon. In the wall there are two niches; one is for the prothesis, the other one — for a sanctuary icon. The iconostasis was wooden — in the wall there are preserved the cuttings for its placing. By the perimeter of the naos there is a bench for parishioners, in which from the southern side a grave is cut out, and in the floor under it there is a sepulcher. There are niches in the walls, in which the icons were put, here there are the remains of two Greek inscriptions. The peculiarity of the Temple is the fact that there were made two exits: the earlier one led to the naos, and later the entrance was cut out which led from the street to the apse. In the rock fragment behind the Temple once there used to be a burial vault.

The Church was founded not earlier than XI–XIII c.

After the Christians’ leaving Crimea the Monastery become deserted as well as the Temple. In 1888 it was again consecrated in the name of Sts. Martyrs Sophia, Faith, Hope, and Love with the blessing of Taurida Bishop Martinian. Archimandrite Isidore renewed services in it. Inside the Temple of St. Sophia was whitened, outside it was adorned with a gilded cross. Despite the small size of the Temple, the monks lovingly used to call it “Sophia Cathedral”.

In the west part of Kachi-Kalyon Settlement in the third grotto there is a church and sepulchral complex.

But the most famous object in Kachi-Kalyon is St. Martyr Anastasia’s spring which is considered curative. It can be seen in the fourth grotto which is called the temple created by the nature itself. And it is really so: high stone vaults look like a vault of a majestic Gothic cathedral. And You feel here the same what You do in the cathedral: reverence for and delight about this beauty. In the rock above the spring there have been cut out the niches for icons and a raised four-point cross. The spring was visited by Archbishop Innocent during his pilgrimage about the Crimean sacred places.

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