| Bakhchysarai Cave Monastery | |
|---|---|
Ukrainian:Успенський монастир (Бахчисарай) | |
 Uspensky Cave Monastery | |
.jpg)  Bakhchysarai Cave Monastery  Bakhchysarai Cave Monastery | |
| General information | |
| Location | Bakhchysarai,Ukraine, Ukraine |
| Coordinates | 44°44′40.75″N33°54′35.60″E / 44.7446528°N 33.9098889°E /44.7446528; 33.9098889 |
| Owner | Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) |
| Official name | Комплекс Успенського печерного монастиря (Complex of the Assumption Cave Monastery) |
| Type | Archaeology |
| Reference no. | 010006-Н |
TheAssumption Monastery of the Caves (Russian:Успенский пещерный монастырь,Ukrainian:Успенський печерний монастир), otherwise known as Bakhchysarai Cave Monastery, or Uspensky Cave Monastery is located inCrimea, near the town ofBakhchysarai. It is acave monastery carved out of a cliff, thought to have been founded in the 8th century.[1]
The date of the monastery's foundation is disputed, although local monks assert that it originated as early as the 8th century but was abandoned whenByzantium lost its hold on the region.[1] The current monastic establishment dates back to the 15th century, founded by monks from the monastery atKyiv-Pechersk Lavra.[2] The monastery has been built by carving out the building into the walls of the cliffs themselves. The buildings are whitewashed with golden domes.[3]
The monastery became an important hub ofEastern Orthodox Christianity between the 15th and 18th centuries, accommodating those fleeing fromMuslim persecution inGreece.[1] The monastery fell into a period of decline around 1778, due toEviction of Christians from the Crimea. The icon of theMother of God was taken by the Greeks from the church to another churchMariupol, where it remained until 1918, at which point all trace of it was lost.[1][4]
In 1921 the monastery was closed by the Soviet government due to laws against religion. After the dissolution of theSoviet Union andUkrainian independence the monastery was restored, monks returned and it was reopened to the public in 1993.[3][5]