One of only three lavra (super monasteries) in Ukraine, Sviatohirsk monastery obtained this status in 2004. It is probably not nearly as ancient as Kyevo-Pecherska Lavra – monks moved in here in 1620, burrowing into the chalk cliff, which they transformed into a five-storey dwelling, complete with several chapels and monk cells. These caves now form the monastery's upper part. In the following years it grew to become a prominent religious centre, but in 1790 Catherine II decided to close it, handing the surrounding lands to her lover Grygory Potemkin. The monastery reopened in 1844 when its lower, riverside section was built. In 1920 the Bolsheviks shot the monks and set up a hospital on the premises. But the clergy was back in 1992, taking over the entire lavra by 2004. You can check out the riverside section of the lavra on your own. Dress properly – no shorts or miniskirts are allowed. To visit the caves in the upper part of the monastery, join a group of pilgrims organised by the monastery's excursion bureau , located at the far end of the monastery's riverside section.
