Holy Trinity Monastery in Akhtyrka is the first in its beauty of location
after Svatogorsky monastery. There’s a hill resembling circumference in shape 4 miles to the north of Akhtyrka it is covered with fresh vegetation and the century oaks are prevalent among the trees. Vorskla river winds around the bottom of the hill. On the top of this hill one of the oldest monasteries in Ukraine was reconstructed.
These are the words from «The Historical-Statistic Review of the Kharkov Region» by the archbishop Filaret Gumilevsky published in 1852. We could as well have written this now in 2003 when the monastery is living through it’s 3rd rebirth.
«Monastery had its 1st birthday in 1654 when Ionaki — abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery arrived from the Dniper river into Aktyrka with brotherhood in the number of 40 men, — archbishop Filaret goes on. Their monastery in Lebedin was burned; Unia and Jesuits pursued the orthodox and subjected them to many trials. Poor wonderers as a result of compassionate plea of the residents of the city Aleshni and by decree of the tzar Alexi Mikhailovidh were given beautiful hill Akhtyr with the surrounding barren lands to establish their monastery…» In 1720 Peter the 1st gave to his spiritual father protopresbiter Timothy V. Nadarzhinsky rich Trostanets and some other estates. And in 1724 father Timothy built a stone convent of Holy Trinity and surrounded the monastery by the stone wall. He was later berried inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral after becoming a monk.
Monastery was closed by decree of Katherine the 3rd, but the residents of surrounding villages did not stop to revere the ruins of the holy dwelling. The wonderful mountain attracted the followers of the true faith. And at last they came to ask the government to reconstruct the old monastery. In 1842 there was a high order to rebuild the monastery. Spiritual father of St. Milatius of Kharkov hieromonk Sergey was elevated to be the abbot of the monastery. On privios page you can see lithography with the picture of monastery of Akhtyr published in the beginning of the XX century. At that time there was about 150 monks and novices living inside the monastery.
As a result of coup in October of 1917 monastery was closed again. Monastery abbot Aristarkh was martyred in 1919, monastery churches defiled and looted. Until the World War II monastery housed an orphanage and then military barracks. Local people disassembled the remaining buildings for construction materials soon after the war. The local plant Promsvaz used facilities as a testing range for antennas in the 70th. The plant stopped functioning in the 90th but still owns a plot of land surrounded by the brick wall in the center of the hill.
Ancient bell tower with the holes made by tank shells during the war is the only remaining building. This bell tower attracted attention of 2 monks who lived and served at the church of the seminary of Sumy
With the blessing of the bishop of Sumy Job 2monks and one novice established their residency in the military tent on top of the monastery hill and started the daily cycle of the monastic divine services. The first Divine Liturgy was served here on June 23rd on the church feast day of the Holy Trinity, it’s being served each day since.
With the help of the pious residents of Akhtyrka there were awnings constructed that served as monastery church and cafeteria.
On July 26th on the eve of Remembrance Day of St. Vladimir the evangelist of Russia there was rising of the Holy Cross on top of the bell tower.
Restoration works began inside the bell tower in September. Monks who were joined by 2 more novices from the seminary students realized that the only possible way to have a stone church and the cells to live was to make them inside the bell tower — the church on the 1st floor and the cells on the 2nd floor. The 1st service in the church was on December the 4th — it was the all-night vigil of Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple. For many days before that the weather was extremely frosty but the feast day was the first day when the brethren were able to enter the their stone church. This event strengthened their belief that Holy Theotokos patronizes their cause.
On Sunday January 12, 2003 of the nativity of our Lord Job bishop of Sumy and Akhtyrka consecrated the church. This was the first Divine Liturgy served by archbishop in the monastery after the long years of neglect. As of today the whole monastery resides inside the bell tower. We don’t have anything else besides the small church and several cells, there’s no kitchen, facilities needed for construction work, no place to wash, no closets. Practically we have nothing but the strong belief in Lord’s help and the patronage of the Most Holy Theotokos.
With the help of pious orthodox Christians monastery will be fully reconstructed.
«Monastery had its 1st birthday in 1654 when Ionaki — abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery arrived from the Dniper river into Aktyrka with brotherhood in the number of 40 men, — archbishop Filaret goes on. Their monastery in Lebedin was burned; Unia and Jesuits pursued the orthodox and subjected them to many trials. Poor wonderers as a result of compassionate plea of the residents of the city Aleshni and by decree of the tzar Alexi Mikhailovidh were given beautiful hill Akhtyr with the surrounding barren lands to establish their monastery…» In 1720 Peter the 1st gave to his spiritual father protopresbiter Timothy V. Nadarzhinsky rich Trostanets and some other estates. And in 1724 father Timothy built a stone convent of Holy Trinity and surrounded the monastery by the stone wall. He was later berried inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral after becoming a monk.
Monastery was closed by decree of Katherine the 3rd, but the residents of surrounding villages did not stop to revere the ruins of the holy dwelling. The wonderful mountain attracted the followers of the true faith. And at last they came to ask the government to reconstruct the old monastery. In 1842 there was a high order to rebuild the monastery. Spiritual father of St. Milatius of Kharkov hieromonk Sergey was elevated to be the abbot of the monastery. On privios page you can see lithography with the picture of monastery of Akhtyr published in the beginning of the XX century. At that time there was about 150 monks and novices living inside the monastery.
As a result of coup in October of 1917 monastery was closed again. Monastery abbot Aristarkh was martyred in 1919, monastery churches defiled and looted. Until the World War II monastery housed an orphanage and then military barracks. Local people disassembled the remaining buildings for construction materials soon after the war. The local plant Promsvaz used facilities as a testing range for antennas in the 70th. The plant stopped functioning in the 90th but still owns a plot of land surrounded by the brick wall in the center of the hill.
Ancient bell tower with the holes made by tank shells during the war is the only remaining building. This bell tower attracted attention of 2 monks who lived and served at the church of the seminary of Sumy
With the blessing of the bishop of Sumy Job 2monks and one novice established their residency in the military tent on top of the monastery hill and started the daily cycle of the monastic divine services. The first Divine Liturgy was served here on June 23rd on the church feast day of the Holy Trinity, it’s being served each day since.
With the help of the pious residents of Akhtyrka there were awnings constructed that served as monastery church and cafeteria.
On July 26th on the eve of Remembrance Day of St. Vladimir the evangelist of Russia there was rising of the Holy Cross on top of the bell tower.
Restoration works began inside the bell tower in September. Monks who were joined by 2 more novices from the seminary students realized that the only possible way to have a stone church and the cells to live was to make them inside the bell tower — the church on the 1st floor and the cells on the 2nd floor. The 1st service in the church was on December the 4th — it was the all-night vigil of Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple. For many days before that the weather was extremely frosty but the feast day was the first day when the brethren were able to enter the their stone church. This event strengthened their belief that Holy Theotokos patronizes their cause.
On Sunday January 12, 2003 of the nativity of our Lord Job bishop of Sumy and Akhtyrka consecrated the church. This was the first Divine Liturgy served by archbishop in the monastery after the long years of neglect. As of today the whole monastery resides inside the bell tower. We don’t have anything else besides the small church and several cells, there’s no kitchen, facilities needed for construction work, no place to wash, no closets. Practically we have nothing but the strong belief in Lord’s help and the patronage of the Most Holy Theotokos.
With the help of pious orthodox Christians monastery will be fully reconstructed.
