Kiziltashsky monastery of St. Stephen of Sourozh in the village of Krasnokamenka. Kiziltashsky Monastery of St. Stephen of Sourozh in the village of Krasnokamenka Temple of Ordzhonikidze in Crimea
Welcome to Crimea!
Come visit us in the village of Ordzhonikidze, located in the southeastern part of the peninsula.
Orjo is located away from the noisy resorts between the village of Koktebel and the city of Feodosia on Cape Kiik-Atlama. The cape looks like a peninsula, which is a continuation of the Biyuk-Yanyshar mountain range. The sea washes our village on three sides. When you come to us, you will plunge into the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of the village; it is warm, native and Soviet in spirit.
You can find and discover something new! You should visit it at least once in your life.
You can enjoy the beautiful scenery from the central embankment!
Ordzhonikidze is hidden by mountains; it is worth climbing them more than once and seeing the beautiful view that opens from the peaks. Sea, mountains, Fresh air We invite you to enjoy this with us.
Photo No. 2 View of Koktebel Bay from the hill
In the village you will find monuments of Soviet architecture and a temple.
The temple and guest house of St. Stephen of Sourozh in the village of Ordzhonikidze appeared in 2000. Guest house "Svetlitsa Pilgrim" is a hotel for pilgrims.
Photo No. 3 Church and guest house of St. Stephen of Sourozh.
Photo No. 4 V.I. Lenin; S. Ordzhonikidze; CM. Kirov
It is also worth noting that not in every village you will find such a number of monuments;-)
View of Dvukyakornaya Bay, where you will more than once want to spend the sunset and watch the sunrise.
Photo No. 5 Dvukyakornaya Bay
Photo No. 6 dawn in Dvuyakorka
It is worth adding that this is not all that you can see and visit in our village! There is something that cannot be expressed in words and it is worth seeing with your own eyes.
The sounds of the sea, the feeling of sand, the beauty of the sky that merges with the horizon of the sea surface. This is something that cannot be seen in the city, but can be seen and felt when you come to us!
Christian churches of Greater Feodosia - Church of St. Stefan Sourozhsky Address: tel. 2-32-50 Rector: Priest Stefan Gogalyuk
CHURCH IN THE NAME OF SAINT STEPHAN OF SOUROZH
Located at: Ukraine, Crimea, Feodosia, town. Ordzhonikidze, st. Bondarenko, 5
Church in the name of St. Stephen of Sourozh
In 1999-2000, a new church building was erected in the village of Ordzhonikidze in the name of St. Stephen of Sourozh. The church was consecrated by Metropolitan Lazar of Crimea and Simferopol in December 2000. Saint Stephen, Archbishop of Sourozh Stephen was born at the end of the 7th century in Cappadocia, into a Christian family. At the age of 7 he was sent to learn to read and write. He was diligent and attentive to the study of divine scripture. For fifteen years he studied in Constantinople, where he began studying philosophy. And with his learning he surprised not only his peers, but also his teachers. The Patriarch of Constantinople German called him to himself. Stefan remained with him for several years, and then secretly went to a monastery, where he accepted monasticism. Leaving the monastery, he settled in a secluded place, remaining in fasting and prayer. At this time, the Bishop of Sourozh died, and the citizens of Sourozh (now the city of Sudak) came to Constantinople to Patriarch Herman to ask for a new bishop. The Patriarch found it difficult to choose a worthy one. But during prayer, he was rewarded with a vision of an angel who said: “Tomorrow we go to a secret place to the chosen one of God Stefan and install him as Bishop of Surozh, he can well fall the flock of Christ entrusted to him and lead the infidels to faith. I was sent to him from God to say, so that he does not disobey you in anything." The angel indicated the location of the saint. An angel also appeared to the saint: “I am an angel of the Lord, sent from the Savior Christ to tell you joy and command you to go to the city of Surozh to teach people the faith of Christ; in the morning the Patriarch will send for you and, having consecrated you, will send you there as an archbishop; do not disobey him, so that Don't anger God." The next day, two presbyters brought the saint to the patriarch and he consecrated him archbishop of Surozh, and with that he released him on a ship to Tauris. Upon his arrival in Surozh, the saint, through his life and preaching, achieved the fruits of sowing the word of God; after five years, almost all of the residents of the city and its environs became Christians. At this time, Leo the Isaurian reigned in Byzantium, nicknamed the “Isaurian iconoclast,” from whom Patriarch Herman suffered a lot for his icon veneration, for which he was exiled to prison. The Tsar and the new Patriarch Anastasius sent their order to the holy Archbishop Stephen in Surozh so that he would no longer teach the worship of icons and the cross. The saint answered the messengers: “This will not happen, I will not allow my people to deviate from the law of Christ.” After this, he went to Constantinople and appeared to the Tsar. Leo tried to persuade him to give up honoring the holy icons, to which the saint replied: “If you cut me into pieces and burn me with fire, I will endure everything for the image of God Jesus Christ and the cross of the Lord.” After these words, they began to beat the saint, knocked out his teeth, dragged him along the ground by his hair, and put him in prison. After the torment, the saint was again brought to the king along with other bishops. Leo, meeting the champions of icon veneration, held the Deesis icon in his hands, spat on the icon and ordered Stephen to do the same. Saint Stephen, sobbing, said: “Enemy of God, unworthy of the kingdom, how are your eyes not blinded and your lawless hands withered? Soon God will take the kingdom away from you and end your life.” For this, Leo ordered the saint to be beaten, and then they tied him to the tail of a horse and dragged him to prison. After Leo's death in 741, his son Constantine Copronymus, whose wife knew of Stephen's virtue and patience, ascended the throne. She begged her husband to let the saint go to Surozh. At this time, the king had a son, who, at the request of the queen, was baptized by Saint Stephen. The king, having given him the gift, showed him the honor of recognizing him as the See of Sourozh. Saint Stephen returned to Surozh, where he could look into the eyes of his believers with a clear conscience. The work to which he devoted his entire life was done. Thus the word of the sermon was strengthened by the blood of the righteous. Saint Stephen managed the affairs of the believers in Surozh until the end of his life, but when he sensed the time of departure to the Lord, he appointed the clergyman Philaret as Archbishop of Surozh. He introduced himself into Eternal Life on December 15, 750. After the blessed death of Saint Stephen, before his venerable body, the Lord worked miracles. The blind resident Ephraim was healed, mourning the death of his benefactor. The saint was buried in the St. Sophia Cathedral in the city of Surozh. It was subsequently converted into a mosque. The relics of the saint were hidden by believers from the desecration of the enemies of Christianity. The place where they are currently located is known only to the Lord. A few years after the death of St. Stephen, a great army of a previously unknown people and city came to Surozh. According to the Life, these people were abusive (warlike) and very strong. The Goeks called them Russians. Of course, these were our ancestors. Then they were not yet Christians and worshiped idols - their pagan gods. The Russian prince, entering the church of St. Sophia of Sourozh, saw on the tomb of St. Stephen's rich cover, decorated with pearls, gold and expensive stones, intended to take him. Suddenly his face turned white and he fell to the floor, foaming at the mouth. When he came to his senses, he ordered his boyars: “Return everything that was stolen, call the priests to baptize me.” Then Bishop Filaret came and baptized the prince. The prince's strange illness immediately disappeared. This made such a strong impression on the soldiers that they immediately accepted baptism after their boyars. The Goetic princess Anna, when she was traveling to Kerch, felt sick, but turning to St. with prayer. Stefan, received healing. Compiler of the Life of St. Stephen, in his eulogy to the saint, says: “After his death he performed many miracles,” and further: “... the Russian land acquired your representative. The glorious city of Surozh, preserves your honest relics as a kind of treasure. Every day the Orthodox peoples pray for you with warm faith and they accept the blessing, and all those who are afflicted with various ailments receive healing from you.” Judging by the style of the life, it can be assumed that its compiler was a contemporary of St. Stefan and Philaret, therefore, who lived in the first half of the 8th century.
Source of material: Orthodox Feodosia (http://vk.com/club6371548)
Last Wednesday in Crimea, in the area of Mount Klimentyev near Koktebel, a light-engine Cessna plane crashed. The pilot and three passengers on board were killed. Among the victims are the 42-year-old abbot of the St. Stephen of Sourozh Monastery in Kiziltash and the rector of the Holy Protection Church in Sudak, Abbot Nikon (Demjanjuk).
According to Sudak residents, it was Fr. Nikon revived the St. Stephen of Sourozh Monastery in the village of Krasnokamenka (Kiziltash) and the Holy Intercession Church in Sudak, on the basis of which he created an Orthodox educational center with a Sunday school and a library.
From a young age, Nikolai (this was the name of the abbot in the world) was interested in aviation, flying gliders in the Simferopol flying club. And in the future, Father Nikon did not give up his passion for aviation for many years, heading the hang gliding and aircraft modeling circle at the Holy Protection Church of Sudak.
I was lucky enough to be at the service that he led. He spoke a wonderful sermon about love. Bright memory!
For many years I wanted to visit this monastery. But it was not so easy. The monastery is located on the territory military base. Entrance to it for pilgrims was previously limited... And last year the opportunity arose to visit this beautiful monastery in the Kizil-Tasha mountains.
We go to the monastery from Sudak. 30 minutes of travel and we are approaching the picturesque Kiziltash valley. Here you can see rocky cliffs, jagged mountain peaks and gorges. It was in one of these valleys, located near the rocky ridge Kizil-Tash (in Tatar “red stone”), not far from the village of Krasnokamenka, that a monastery in honor of St. Stephen of Sourozh was founded in the 1850s.
KIZILTASH
Silent under the silken rain
The hardened ridge
And sleeps in gray legends
Monastery Kiziltash.
The old monastery is abandoned -
Not a cell around,
Where the ancient Psalter was sung
And the Cross rose.
Where at the monastic graves
And in temples among the mountains
Offered prayers to the Savior
Reverent choir.
Centuries have passed a long time ago
Tsargradov and Sugdei,
But the melancholy thickens again
And it tortures people.
They are to heaven from earth
Raise their gaze -
And altars arise
In the wilderness of harsh mountains.
And, thank God, there are hearts
In our inert restlessness,
Which is dear to the end
The sacred world is different.
And that means Kiziltash will rise
In the greatness of the past,
And the monk will crown the ridge
The Salvation Cross! 
The Christian history of this place began one thousand hundred years before this event - in the 8th century after the Nativity of Christ. And it is most closely connected with the name of the holy saint of God - St. Stephen of Sourozh... I will tell you about this holy saint later.
Road to the monastery 
It is steep and rocky in places. 
And now a beautiful view of the valley and Mount Chakyl-Kaya opened before us (the monastery is already visible in the distance). 
Path to the monastery. 
The monastery is located under Mount Chakyl-Kaya. The surviving legend says that it was in these places, at the foot of the red rocks, that Stefan of Sourozh loved to retire and pray. 
To the left of the monastery there is a military unit. 
And our path winds along the mountainside. 
View of the military base. 
On the tops of the mountains above the monastery we see crosses. 
The monastery is already visible in the distance. 
The monastery is located on the territory of a military unit (hence the fence with wire). Previously, entry for pilgrims was through a checkpoint. 
View of the monastery. 
One of the Crosses over the monastery was placed by order of the commander of the military unit - “The seven-meter cross was consecrated below, and then the soldiers, with great difficulty, dragged it to the top of the mountain. They installed it, working conscientiously. And at night in the apartment of Father Nikon (Hegumen of the monastery) a sound was heard phone call. The unit commander himself called: “Father, come to us urgently! This is happening here!” Out of excitement, the unit commander could not even really explain what the matter was. He just said into the phone: “Miracle!” And then there were frequent beeps...
The miracle was that the cross that had just been installed on the top of the mountain glowed all night. Yes, with such an extraordinary light that all the military personnel and members of their families who went out into the street to look at the marvel took their breath away!” 
We cross the bed of a dry stream. 
HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE MONASTERY.
Pilgrim pilgrims Andronim and Panteleimon actually became the first monks of the future monastery. With their own efforts, they built themselves a very modest dwelling not far from the source and a clay church there.
In 1856, Saint Innocent of Kherson and Tauride visited Kiziltash. He consecrated this small church in the name of St. Stephen of Sourozh. At the same time, eminent and wealthy citizens of Feodosia and Sudak turned to Vladyka Innocent with a request to open a cenobitic monastery in Kiziltash.
Their request was granted: soon, by decision of the Holy Synod, a men's school was created in Kiziltash cenobitic monastery. The first abbot of the newly formed cenovia was Abbot Arseny, who arrived here from the St. George Monastery. Under his leadership, eleven monks gathered and began the arrangement of the monastery. They built a small house and four dugouts.
The fate of the first settlers of Kinovia turned out differently. Andronik left for Mount Athos in 1857; no more detailed information has been preserved about his life. But Panteleimon remained in the Kiziltash monastery, took monastic vows with the name Pachomius and lived here for twenty-five years. He died in 1874, having adopted the schema two years before his death.
The monastery temple was consecrated in honor of the Kiev-Pechersk saints, the founders of monasticism in Rus'. 
HOLY REVEREND MARTYR PARTHENIOUS OF KIZILTASH
The construction of the monastery really began with the appointment of Hieromonk Parthenius as abbot here. He was transferred to the Kiziltash monastery on August 20, 1858. Being an excellent organizer, he managed to organize the construction of buildings and stone terraces in the monastery; the subsidiary farm under his leadership provided everything necessary for the life of monks and pilgrims.
Courageous and always cheerful, Father Parfeniy was not suppressed by the unsightly situation of complete disorder, but dominated over it. Not agreeing with immorality and baseness in any of their manifestations, he, unselfish, caring like a father, was loved and respected, his authority steadily grew and strengthened. 
This is what the famous writer, teacher and traveler E. A. Markov enthusiastically wrote about the abbot of Parthenia in his “Essays on Crimea”: “He was a courageous and active owner of the Kiziltash forests. He strove to turn the desert into a homely, abundant economy, and had already almost achieved his goal. He was the first to work from dawn to dusk in his factories and on his plantations. A handful of monks helped him; there was nothing to hire workers for. In Kiziltash cinnovia before Parthenius there was only a cave with a healing spring and two or three wicker huts. Parthenius got everything else. He cut roads, broke stone, sawed boards, burned lime and bricks, planted cuttings in forest pear trees, planted vineyards, dug wells... From a cave in the rock a whole monastery became, with two hotels, a church, cells and various services. Parthenius's energy, enterprise and economic experience made him in some way the leader of the surrounding owners. He was a master in everything: an architect, an engineer, a carpenter, a stove maker, a gardener, a cattle breeder, whatever you want... People turned to him for advice, he was entrusted with tasks. Those who visited Kiziltash returned from the desert enchanted by its forest beauties and the simple-hearted hospitality of its intelligent owner.”
In those days, Sudak was a large village inhabited mainly by gardeners. Owners of large estates did not manage their gardens and vineyards themselves, usually hiring managers from the Taraktash Tatars. The landowners themselves came to Sudak only in the summer to relax by the sea and sell their harvest. Unfortunately, it sometimes happened that the managers did not care about the estates entrusted to them, but about their own well-being. But this was not enough for them. The time came when they, having lost their conscience, began to use the monastery property as their own. Father Parthenius was unable to communicate with them either at the everyday or at the administrative level. Possessing a surprisingly direct and integral character, he acted as his Christian conscience told him.
In May 1863, having caught the Tatar managers stealing the monastery forest once again, the abbot was severely beaten. But it didn’t end there: on August 22, 1866, the abbot of the Kiziltash monastery was brutally murdered. His corpse was burned. The investigators managed to find the remains only in October 1866. A special coffin was arranged for them, in which Abbot Parthenius was buried on December 2, 1866. At the expense of the Sudak landowner Rudneva, a cast-iron monument and an oak cross were erected at the site of the martyr’s death.
In 2000, the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Hegumen Parthenius was canonized as a holy martyr. His memorial day is celebrated every year on September 17th.
The monastery garden is located not far from the temple. 
MONASTERY AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY
After the death of Abbot Parthenius, a new abbot was appointed to the monastery - Abbot Nikolai. He turned out to be a worthy successor to Father Parthenius and ruled the city for more than twenty years. In 1870, the monastery was built stone church with a bell tower, covered with iron. It was consecrated in 1871 in the name of the Dormition of the Mother of God. An icon was installed in it above the Royal Doors Holy Mother of God, found more than forty years ago in the source. But the temple was not heated in the winter, so services were held here only in the summer. In 1885, on the site of the first adobe church, a winter church was built in honor of St. Stephen of Sourozh. At this church there was a sacristy, cells for the sexton and novices. The monastery continued to gradually settle down and become more beautiful. On the territory of the monastery, a stone house for the abbot, a refectory for thirty people with a kitchen and prosphora, a hotel for twenty places for pilgrims, five fraternal outbuildings with separate cells, a workshop and outbuildings were built. Huge crosses were erected on the tops of the surrounding mountains, showing the way for pilgrims. The number of brethren in the monastery was small at first. In 1857 it consisted of twelve people, including the rector. In 1875 there were seventeen people here: five hieromonks, two hierodeacons, four monks and six novices. In 1877 there were twelve people here: two hieromonks, two hierodeacons, five monks and three novices. By 1894 the number of monastics and novices had increased to sixty-five. The Kiziltash kinovia was maintained at its own expense. Her land holdings were also small. In 1856, they amounted to 157 dessiatines, purchased from the landowner Kashkadamov with money donated by St. Innocent of Kherson and Tauride. In 1894, the monastic land expanded to 227 acres. By 1886, seven acres of land had been cleared by the monks of bushes and used for hayfields, gardens and vegetable gardens. The vegetables were used not only to support the brothers, but also for sale. The six longitudinal terraces on which the monastery buildings were located were also lined with fruit trees. By this time, there were 35 head of cattle in the kenobia. Carp were bred in the artificial monastery pond. Kinovia, located in one of the most beautiful places in Crimea, was often visited by pilgrims. Everyone wanted to visit the healing springs of the monastery. An oak staircase led to the spring of St. Stephen in the cave. A glass pavilion was built near the cave, where icons of Saints Stephen of Sourozh and Nicholas the Wonderworker were installed. Not far from the monastery, another spring came out of the ground. His water contained sulfur. Healing mud was gradually deposited here, which also attracted people suffering from various ailments.
Entrance to the temple. 
WAR... REVOLUTION...
During the First World War, the inhabitants of the Kiziltash Monastery provided assistance to the front with medicines, dressings, and collected gifts for the soldiers. During civil war the monastery was robbed.
With the Bolsheviks coming to power, the monks and novices of the Kinovia organized a labor community and turned to the commission for the separation of church and state at the Feodosian Revolutionary Committee with a request to transfer to them the property of the Assumption and Seraphim churches for the performance of Divine services. In 1921, the monastery churches were transferred to the community. In the same year, the authorities created a children's labor colony in the monastery. The monks were offered to supervise agricultural work there. But soon, in 1923, a decision was made to close the Kiziltash Monastery. In all its churches, services were stopped. Believers from the villages of Koktebel, Otuzy, Izyumovka, Karagoz repeatedly asked to transfer the monastery church to them, but each time they were refused.
In 1924, instead of a children's colony, a labor colony named after Kalinin was established in the monastery. The building of one of the churches was converted into a club. But work in the colony did not go well: relations between its members were difficult, quarrels often broke out, and they worked extremely poorly. As a result of these troubles, the colony was liquidated. Instead, three years later, an agricultural artel was created here. This time, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary became a hostel for members of the artel. But the artel did not take root here either: in 1930, on the territory of the former monastery, a rest house for the Moscow Military District was built, which existed until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
In the temple. 
SECRET TERRITORY
After the war, in 1950, it was decided to build one of the secret arsenals here, in which nuclear warheads of ships of the Black Sea Fleet were stored. All remaining buildings of the monastery were blown up. A village appeared, which, being an absolutely secret object under the name “Mailbox No. 105” (in the 1960s - “Feodosia-13”), by 1956 expanded: it had its own kindergarten, school, shops. However, the village was closed and strictly guarded, and the territory of the former monastery turned out to be inaccessible to believers, archaeologists, researchers and just tourists. In 1991, after the collapse of the USSR, the nuclear stockpile was removed, but the military unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces remained here. But this is another story; those who wish to get acquainted with it are advised to visit the Kiziltash website
REVIVAL
On April 15, 1997, at an extended meeting of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, chaired by His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, a report was heard from Bishop Lazar on the opening of the Kiziltash Monastery in the name of St. Stefan Sourozhsky. The Holy Synod decided to bless the opening of the monastery and appoint Priest Nikolai Demjanjuk as its vicar and tonsure him into monasticism.
Then the revival of the monastery began, which has not yet been completed. First, the cave with the source of St. Stephen of Sourozh was restored. They also built a church in honor of the Kiev-Pechersk saints - the founders of monasticism in Rus'. From many churches of the Crimean peninsula, pieces of the relics of the holy saints of God were transferred to it: St. Innocent of Kherson and Tauride, St. Luke of Simferopol and Crimea, St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, the holy Venerable Agapit of Pechersk, the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious and others.
Model of the monastery. This is how it was before the revolution. 
Old lithograph with a view of the monastery. 
The Royal Doors, Solea and Pulpit. 
HOLY STEPHAN OF SOUROZH
Down by the sea in a picturesque bay, in those days the rich and beautiful city and port of Surozh (now Sudak) was bustling with commercial life, in which Christian churches were already operating at that time. There was also an episcopal see here. In 724, the ruling bishop of Sourozh reposed in the Lord. Then the inhabitants of the city came to Constantinople to Patriarch German with a request to appoint a bishop for them. During the selection of candidates, disagreements arose among the petitioners: some wanted one thing, others another. But everyone agreed that a bishop was needed who could skillfully govern the Church, since all kinds of heresies had arisen and were multiplying in their city.
While Patriarch Herman was pondering who to appoint to the See of Sourozh, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and ordered him to find the pious monk Stephen for this purpose - a good-natured, humble, and also a very literate and wise man. It should also be said that Stefan, desiring a silent life, long before these events left the monastery in which he took monastic vows, and, finding an unknown secluded place, lived there for quite a long time in fasting and prayer.
The angel also appeared to Stephen. As the Life of the Saint says, he said to the hermit: “I am an angel of the Lord and sent from Christ the Savior to announce joy to you and command you to go to the city of Surozh so that you teach people the faith of Christ. Tomorrow the Patriarch will call you and, having consecrated you, will send you there as an archbishop; do not disobey him, lest you anger God.”
In the center of the temple is a proskintarium with an icon of St. Stephen of Sourozh. 
Soon the new Archbishop of Sourozh, Stefan, set off on a ship to the shores of Taurida. Not only through sermons, but also through his righteous life, during the five years of his archpastoral activity, the saint was able to convince almost all residents of Surozh and its environs to accept baptism.
But at that time, the iconoclastic heresy, led by Emperor Leo the Isaurian, gained strength in Byzantium. Many of those who venerated the icons were exiled or even killed. The Holy Patriarch German tried to exhort Leo the Isaurian, but his efforts were in vain: soon he, by order of the emperor, found himself in captivity.
The strictest imperial command was also sent to Surozh not to worship icons and the cross. To which Stephen of Sourozh firmly responded that he would not allow his people to deviate from the law of Christ. Stephen was captured, tortured, and then thrown into prison. Only a few years later, the son of the deceased Leo, Konstantin Kopronymus, freed Stephen from captivity. He not only freed and rewarded him for everything that he had to endure, but again appointed him archbishop of Surozh, where he then managed the affairs of the believers until his death in 750.
Saint Stephen of Sourozh was buried in the St. Sophia Cathedral in the city of Sourozh. Near his holy relics the Lord performed miracles: many people were healed of their mental and physical ailments. 
Temple painting. 
ICON OF NICHOLAS II, EMPEROR, PASSION-BEARER. 
I see an unusual cloud above the monastery. If you look closely, you can see a cross above the cloud. 
Monastic territory. 
We are heading to the monastery chapel with a well. 
The blue dome of the chapel is already visible in the distance. 
Not far from the well we meet such a miracle - an old spreading oak tree, which has probably been living on the territory of the monastery for 300 years. I saw this oak tree and Archbishop Innocent, and Abbot Parthenius and members of the royal Romanov dynasty. In 1906, I visited Kiziltash royal family, and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna treated her feet with the waters of a sulfur spring. Artists I.K. Aivazovsky and K.F. Bogaevsky loved these picturesque places. 
The chapel over the well was recently built. 
The Andronikov Icon of the Mother of God above the entrance to the chapel. 
The blue dome of the chapel shines brightly over the surrounding area. 
Icon of the Sourozh Archbishop St. Stefan 
Entrance to the chapel. 
Monastery well. 
And then my path lies to a very sad place. To the place where the old monastery temple stood... This place is located not far from the chapel. 
And here in front of me are the preserved foundation stones of the monastery walls and the temple. 
My soul is sad from the landscape that opened up to me... 
In 1950, by order of L. Beria, all the buildings of the monastery were blown up, tunnels were built in the rocks, and the nuclear arsenal of the Black Sea Fleet was located on the territory of the monastery... 
Apparently the altar part of the temple was located here... 
Entrance to the temple?... 
And not far from the destroyed temple there is a new wooden temple. The temple in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov was built in May 2008 on the site where there was a chapel in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and consecrated in 2010. It is one of the few wooden churches in Crimea!
It was a weekday and the temple was closed. Services are held here on holidays. 
On the temple there is a carved icon of Our Lady of Tenderness. 
The icon of the Mother of God was the cell image of St. Seraphim of Sarov. With oil from the lamp that burned in front of the cell icon, the Monk Seraphim anointed the sick, and they received healing. In front of such an icon, the monk departed to the Lord. Another name for the icon is “The Joy of All Joys.” This is what Saint Seraphim himself often called the icon of TOUCHING. 
Above the entrance gate icon made of St. Pr wood Seraphim of Sarov. 
Not far from the temple there is a stone staircase with figured balusters and a preserved ancient stone cross at the foot... 
The stone staircase and balusters somehow remind me of the entrance to noble estates of the 18-19th century. 
We pass by the old monastery cemetery. Old moss-covered slabs on the graves of the monastery brethren who have passed into eternity... 
Next, we slowly begin to climb the Chakyl-Kaya mountain. Somewhere here there was a Robber Cave, which is formed by two fallen rocks. According to legend, the name of the cave was given in honor of the national Robin Hood of the Crimean Tatars. Hiding in this cave... 
And our path lies to the monastery grottoes. 
The path passes under a blocky rubble and leads along a rock ledge to a staircase leading to the holy cave. 
We pass through through cavities under boulders that have fallen to the foot of the slopes... 
We went out to the area near the main grottoes. In front of us there is a stone well at the bottom, there is even some water. 
These grottoes also served as a place of retreat for solitary prayers to the monks of the monastery. 
Grotto caves. 
These are the picturesque landscapes of the Kiziltash valley that open up to us on the way to the cave of St. Stephen of Sourozh. 
Grottoes and cavities on the slopes of the mountain. 
The monks made a staircase leading to the cave.
Climbing the steep slope to the holy cave has now become easier. 
And here is the holy cave ahead (in 2010, the monks equipped it, inserted windows and installed a door.) 
Sacred Cave - the name is given in honor of the miracle of finding the icon of the Mother of God. 
This cave has been known since ancient times with the source of St. Stephen of Sourozh, which was considered healing among peoples of different religions. Obviously, in the Middle Ages it was a church. The remains of a foundation made of untreated stone and lime mortar have survived to this day. In 1825, an icon appeared in a cave, in the waters of a spring. Mother of God. She was found by a Tatar shepherd who was fleeing in a cave from inclement weather. He gave the icon painted on the board to the Greek merchant Plastar, and he took it to Archpriest Joseph of Theodosius. The ancient icon in a silver robe was transferred to the Church of St. Stephen. The discovery of the icon attracted many Christians to the cave with the spring, who began to gather for divine services on August 15, the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and May 9, the day of St. Nicholas.
In the depths of the cave near the source on the rock we see the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. 
In the spring, practically no water flows out from an oblique crack in the depths of the grotto. During dry summers the spring often dries up. 
We were accompanied all the way back by a cute monastery cat with a tail like a lynx. 
Then we went along the path down to the village of Krasnokamenka to the monastery courtyard. 
Here you can buy fresh, delicious monastery bread, several types of monastery kvass, hand-made sweets, nuts, and honey! 
Ordzhonikidze is a resort village in Crimea, which arose on the site of an Armenian monastery founded in the 10th century. Under the Genoese, there was a fairly large port of Provato, and in 1911 a plant for the production and testing of deep-sea weapons was built in this area. Concerning Soviet period, then until 1990 the territory of Ordzhonikidze, or, as local residents call it, Ordzho, was considered a zone closed to visitors. Only in the mid-1990s did resort infrastructure begin to develop here. Cafes, restaurants and inexpensive housing have appeared in. Interesting excursions to local attractions will help diversify your vacation.
What can you see in Ordzhonikidze and what can you do in your spare time at this resort? The portal Sutochno.ru will tell you.
Church of St. Stephen of Sourozh
One of the main attractions of Ordzhonikidze is Orthodox church, which was built in 2006. It was consecrated in the name of the holy Archbishop of Sugdea Stephen of Sourozh, who lived in the eighth century.
Be sure to visit this neo-Byzantine style church, admire its silver domes and magnificent interior decoration.
Ordzhonikidze embankment
A favorite place for evening walks for tourists and residents of Ordzhonikidze is the embankment of the village, adjacent to the excellent sandy beach. Most of the resort's cafes, restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues are located here, including the Mississippi gaming center.
Paragliding Center
Not far from Ordzhonikidze, on Mount Klementyev, there is a famous Paragliding Center, where extreme sports enthusiasts can fly over the picturesque surroundings of the village. There is a school for beginners and competitions are regularly organized, including international ones.
What else is worth doing in the village of Ordzhonikidze? If you have already become bored with the local beauties, go on excursions to neighboring cities: in Feodosia you can visit the Alexander Green Museum, in Sevastopol you can look at the Malakhov Kurgan, and in
The history of the monastery began during the times of iconoclasm, but practically nothing is known about this. The Kiziltash monastery of Stephen of Sourozh in Crimea attracts parishioners and pilgrims with ancient caves famous for their holy spring and mystical secrets unexplained by science.
The church complex is located high on the slopes of the mountains, not far from the beautiful resort of Sudak, famous for its clear water and beech forest. The cozy area has been little studied by archaeological expeditions, but even ordinary travelers find ceramics from the 8th century and bronze from the 10th-16th centuries.
Kiziltash Monastery, Crimea
History of the monastery
In the VIII-XI centuries. the Kizil-Tash valley, often called Crimean Switzerland, was densely populated by people who were attracted by picturesque places with a warm climate. This is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds.
More places for pilgrimage in Russia:
The legend says: in the 8th century in the valley there was the residence of Archbishop Stephen of Sourozh, who was a jealous defender of Christian teaching. He liked to pray in these places, which offered a beautiful view of the foot of the cliff, and to drink sacred water from the spring.
According to historical reports, at the beginning of the 14th century, an Armenian monastery was located on this site, in which a theological seminary operated and church music was taught. A few years later, a church was built next to the temple in the name of the Most Pure Virgin. Some researchers claim that another Orthodox monument was erected here - the monastery named after John the Baptist.
Archaeological excavations confirmed that in the cave with the spring there was a stone chapel with wall paintings that have not survived to this day.
In the middle of the 14th century, Christian culture in the Kiziltash Valley began to fade away under the influence of Islam, which strengthened its own position on the peninsula. Orthodox monasteries closed or destroyed after the Ottoman army conquered the nearby Genoese fortresses. IN late XIX centuries, the ruins of a temple and a stone were discovered in the valley, on one side of which a cross was carved. Archaeologists also found part of a column depicting the apostles.
Stefan of Sourozh, after whom the monastery is named, managed the affairs of this church complex in the 8th century.
Saint Stephen of Sourozh
His appointment was announced by an angel who appeared to the Byzantine Patriarch Herman. The heavenly messenger spoke of Stephen as a pious, humble and competent monk and ordered him to be made abbot of the monastery. An angel appeared to the monk himself, announcing this great joy.
Interesting! Stefan of Sourozh distinguished himself by the practice of daily prayers, righteous living and the fact that in 5 years he introduced the majority of local residents to Christianity.
Revival of the monastery
In 1825, a Kiziltash shepherd found a wooden icon of the Most Pure Mother of God floating along the river. After some time, the holy image ended up with Archpriest Joseph. The rumor about the miraculous discovery of the icon spread throughout the entire valley, and God-believing people began to flock to the Kizil-Tasha grotto. The waters and mud of the source were officially recognized as healing.
About other existing churches in Crimea:
After 12 years, a chapel was built here, where there was an icon and a marble slab depicting the apostles.
Current state of the monastery
- In the summer of 1995, an officer-priest named Nikolai Demjanjuk, who was undergoing obedience in the Ukrainian army, came to the monastery. The responsibilities of educating military personnel and resolving the issue of reviving the Kizil-Tash monastery were entrusted to his shoulders.
- In April 1997, at a meeting of the Holy Synod, a report by Metropolitan Lazar was read on the opening of the monastery, named in honor of St. Stephen of Sourozh. Members of the church council blessed the request and approved N. Demjanjuk as the local vicar.
- In 2000, construction of the fraternal buildings began, and two years later Hieromonk Nikolai received the rank of abbot. Soon a temple was built for the local population and the military; the building was consecrated in memory of the founders of Russian monasticism. Today the monastery continues to be developed.
There are two caves on the territory: Razboinichya and Holy. The first story is connected with a rebel named Alim, who took refuge in this grotto along with his minions.
Grotto of the Kiziltash Monastery
Here the robbers stored their loot, which in our time adventurers may have sought. The Holy Cave is named after the miraculous discovery of the image of the Blessed Virgin.
For information! The grotto is famous for its healing spring with holy water. There is an assumption that it was here that the Monk Stefan of Sourozh lived and prayed.
How to get there
The Kizil-Tash Monastery is open to visitors any day. According to the reviews and testimonies of pilgrims and tourists, this holy place deserves attention, despite the fact that it has undergone significant changes in the course of history.
Here are the relics of Orthodox saints:
- St. Stephen;
- Saints Innocent and Gabriel.
Read about other Orthodox saints:
You can get to the monastery, located far from busy highways, with a transfer: from Feodosia you should get to the village of Shchebetovka, and then by bus to Krasnokamenka. The monastery can be seen on the north side, behind the military unit. The temple, hidden in dense forests, can be seen from afar by its domes and red roof. The path is indicated by special tables that are installed on the slopes. On the approach to the church monastery you can hear calm singing and mudras
These are the words of priests dissuading the laity from sinfulness.
Attention! Arriving at these holy places, tourists must observe the rules of decency and adhere to established principles.
The local monks are extremely happy to see Orthodox believers, but are skeptical of ordinary tourists in colorful clothes. Appearance should be appropriate: women wear headscarves and long skirts, and men wear trousers and sweaters or long-sleeve shirts.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, littering, and pets are prohibited here. On the territory of the monastery it is necessary to turn off telephones and treat the local architecture and nature with care.
The Kizil-Tash monastery, surrounded by an impressive forest and red rocks, leaves an indelible impression on the soul of visitors, giving an unprecedented charge of energy. Parishioners have the chance to touch Christian sites and enjoy unity with a peaceful environment. This church complex is imbued with holiness that flows from every stone and slab.
Video about Kiziltash St. Stephen of Sourozh Monastery
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