Svyatogorsk - the resort city is located on the Seversky Donets River, near the border of three regions - Donetsk, Kharkov and Lugansk. It is the northernmost city of Donetsk region.

The settlement on the site of modern Svyatogorsk was founded in the 16th century by Cossacks and runaway peasants from Central Russia and Right-Bank Ukraine. Later, a monastery was built here on the right high bank of the Donets.

The first mention of the monastery refers to 1624, when the clergy was granted a royal charter on the ownership of this land. In 1679 the monastery was captured and plundered by the Crimean Tatars. Subsequently, it was restored and in the second half of the 18th century it lost its defense significance. Since the 1980s of the 18th century, 27,000 acres of land, about 2,000 serfs, were in his possession. In 1788, the tsarist government closed the Svyatogorsk monastery, its property and lands were transferred to the treasury. After some time, these places became the property of Grigori Potemkin and his heirs. On one of the chalk mountains on the right bank of the Seversky Donets, the earl built a palace, on the lakeside in the floodplain of the river – a swimming pool for guests. From here comes the name of the lake and the village on its coast – Bannoye. By 1797, there were 287 inhabitants in Banny.

 

In 1844, the Svyatogorsky Monastery was restored by the decree of Nicholas I. At the end of the 19th century, Count Ribopier started a horse-riding, turpentine and sawmill factory in Banny. Then there lived 638 people. The terrain and mineral springs discovered here enjoyed the fame of healing. Here came rich people with lung diseases, diseases of the joints. After the establishment of Soviet power, the monastery was closed.

In 1922, a rest house was opened in the former monastery hotel. This marked the beginning of the development of the area for country rest and treatment of residents of Donbass and other areas of the country. In 1929 a collective farm was established in Bann. Since 1938, the village has become a urban-type settlement. On the eve of World War II, a bridge was built here, a radio was held, an ambulatory, a hospital, a nursery, a school, a club worked. The capacity of recreation facilities was 2 860 people. An anti-religious museum was equipped in the caves of the former monastery. Since the 1950s, the resort economy has been developing rapidly. In 1964, the settlement acquired the status of a city called Slavyanogorsk.

 

In 1992, the Assumption Monastery resumed its activities. Appeared hieromonks, monks, novices. The Assumption Cathedral, the St. Nicholas Church, the cave church of St. Anthony and Theodosius, the complex of cave structures, the eastern and western towers, the Cyril and Methodius Staircase, the lower and upper pavilions of pilgrims were returned to the monastery for free use. In 2004, the monastery received the status of the monastery.

Until 1941 a tram operated in the city. Currently, urban transport is represented by a bus route connecting the railway station “Svyatogorsk” with the city center. Infrastructure in Svyatogorsk is developed: there are banks, pharmacies, a post office, courier delivery offices, shops, cafes, markets, shoe repair, atelier, schools, a kindergarten, a music school, historical and Lavra museums, etc. T. o. in Svyatogorsk it is comfortable not only to rest, but also to live permanently.

 

Svyatogorsk is located just 160 kilometers from Donetsk, but the impression is as if you are in another country. There is an extraordinary landscape and a unique microclimate, significantly different from the climate and landscape of Donbass. Summer lasts a month longer here, but rarely hot due to cool nights. In addition, Svyatogorsk is the “greenest” city in Ukraine, because each inhabitant has the largest amount of greenery here. In Svyatogorsk it is always good, in winter, in summer, and in rain, and in snow. Due to the sandy soil there is no slush and dirt. Clean, oxygen-saturated air gives a restful sleep and well-being; blood pressure returns to normal, and patients with chronic illnesses feel better.

Anton Chekhov admired in his time the beauty of Svyatogorsk, calling it “Donetsk Switzerland.” To his sister about this city, he wrote:
“The place is extraordinarily beautiful and original: a monastery on the banks of the Donets, at the foot of a huge white rock, on which, crowding and hanging over each other, there are gardens, oaks and ancient pines. It seems that the trees are closely on the rock and that some kind of force sticks them up and up. Pines literally hang in the air and that, and look, fall down … Cuckoos and nightingales do not fall silent all day

From Soviet times, the town was a resort, and now it is a favorite vacation spot for residents of Donbass and not only. Svyatogorsk welcomes guests from all over Ukraine and the near and far abroad. And since 1997, the city and the lands around it have been declared the National Natural Park.

Perhaps the most distinctive place in the park is the Holy Mountains, towering above the Seversky Donets. It is hard to imagine, but 70 million years ago there was a sea here, at the bottom of which layers of white chalk were formed. Perhaps because the chalk deposits are easier to dig, Byzantine monks settled on this mountain, having built caves in it. The very first written mention of the Holy Mountains dates back to the 15th century. Then this area was the border between Russia and the Crimean Khanate, and the Holy Mountains at that time were both a cave monastery and a frontier post. In the entire history of the monastery, they were able to win it only once.

In the local historical museum you can see what the Holy Mountains looked like when the monastery was located in caves. At that time, 30 novices and monks lived in it. Up to today, up to 1000 meters of underground labyrinths have been preserved. But from the 17th century the monastery begins to build on the surface of the mountain. Even then, the Nicholas Church, erected by unknown craftsmen, appears on the white rocks. It is associated with the most popular legend Svyatogorye. As if the church was being built in secret, then at night a part of the rock was blown up and in the morning the temple suddenly opened at the very top of the mountain. The parishioners were announced about a miracle, they say, the temple grew overnight. However, some time passed and Catherine II issued a decree according to which part of the monasteries should be closed and their property transferred to the state. The list of monasteries in the Holy Mountains.

Catherine II Svyatogorsky monastery and the land presented to Prince Potemkin, but the prince died a year later and did not have time to enjoy a luxurious gift. Later, his successors built a palace here and equipped the baths. Most importantly, they returned the land to the monastery and in every possible way contributed to its further construction. From the very beginning, the cathedral was planned to be made fairly large, but the geological conditions did not allow this. However, the temple was built as much as 10 years. Its most important rarity is the miraculous icon of Svyatogorsk, to which thousands of pilgrims come.

In the 19th century, the monastery on the Holy Mountains flourished, it was decided to open the doors to all who asked for shelter, and each wanderer received shelter and food. But for this he had to do his bit for the benefit of the monastery, if not with money, then with some work. Over time, a hotel complex was built for visitors on the territory of the monastery, where, apart from the accommodations, there was a tea room, a refectory, a women’s hospital. At various times, Chekhov, Kuprin, Bunin, Tsvetaeva, and Gorky stayed at this hotel.

To those who fall in love with this area, Svyatogorsk responds with such a reciprocity that you return here again and again!!!