Surb Khach Monastery. Armenian monastery Surb-Khach in the old Crimea

In Crimea there is a place where you can leave all your worries, sorrows and troubles.

Getting there is easy.

First you need to get to the town of Old Crimea along the Simferopol - Feodosia highway, then turn right. About three kilometers from the city outskirts, on the side of a mountain road, there stands a tree hung with multi-colored ribbons. You need to hang a piece of fabric on a tree branch.

That's all. According to ancient belief, along with this piece, all troubles will go away.

And now, freed from earthly sorrows and worries, you can rise a little higher.

And drink from the sources of Wisdom, Courage and Love. Both figuratively and literally.

The place where the mysterious springs flow is called ("Holy Cross"). This is an ancient monastery, the first mention of which is found in manuscripts dated 1347 and 1348. The founder of the monastery, Hovhannes Sebastatsi, saw a sign in this place - a fiery cross and decided to build a holy monastery here.

To do this, he and his brother bought 50 hectares of land from the Genoese, who at that time owned this region of Crimea. Hovhannes, Sebastatsi and the archimandrites who led the monastery after him are buried in the vestibule of the monastery Church of the Holy Sign - Surb-Nshan.

The burial place was not chosen by chance.
The fact is that Armenians have a very emotional expression: “May I fall at your feet,” which is addressed to those closest to them. It has evangelical roots. Therefore, Hovhannes Sebastatsi bequeathed to bury himself in the vestibule, literally under the feet of those who entered the temple.

Another ancient tradition is to leave pieces of fabric on a tree on the way to holy places, which was already mentioned above, and has also survived to this day.
The surroundings of the monastery amaze with their beauty.

By the way, many Armenians say that these places remind them very much of their native Armenia. And in the monastery garden there are still preserved trees, the seedlings of which were brought to the monks from their distant historical homeland.
The monastery has suffered greatly over time, even more so at the hands of men.

Here is the armory, where parishioners entering the monastery left their personal weapons.
Here is the lookout and narrow loopholes, reminiscent of those turbulent and bloody times when the monastery turned into a fortress.

Here is an inscription in the refectory in ancient Armenian, which says that the nephew of the sparapet, that is, the local military leader, carried out obedience in the monastery, atonement for the sins he had committed.

Here is the library room. The priceless manuscripts stored in it are now in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. Here is the fraternal building with the monks' cells.

They say that during the heyday of the monastery, the souls of up to three dozen people were saved here. There was also a theological seminary in Surb-Khach and outstanding miniaturists of the 14th century Nater and his sons Stepanos, Avetis, Hovhannes and Grigor worked.
And here is the heart of the monastery - the Surb-Nshan temple, with an open altar part, according to the Armenian tradition, with a stone font for the cretzenium. The temple is active, the liturgy is served there, baptisms and weddings take place.
Unfortunately, decades of militant atheism caused more damage to the monastery than the invasions of medieval conquerors. In 1225, communist authorities closed the monastery.

IN Soviet times First a pioneer camp was located here, then a camp site for a large enterprise.

In 2002, Surb-Khach was transferred to the use of the community of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The monastery is being reborn.
Some of the unique sources have been restored and are providing water. The life of the monastery largely depended on them.

After all, the sources are not fed from springs. The monks literally drank... dew.

The fact is that the nameless engineering genius of antiquity created a very subtle, wise and thought-out water supply system. Dew in these places falls abundantly, as well as rainwater, flowing through ceramic pipes laid on the slopes, everything entered the wells, accumulated there and fed all seven springs.

The storm water drainage system was no less wisely designed.

The storage tanks here never overflowed, and excess water was removed through pipes over the ridge of the mountain and flowed down the opposite slope.

Interestingly, centuries-old oak trees in the vicinity of the monastery were also part of the unique hydraulic system. They helped maintain hydrobalance.
Today, Surb-Khach, like hundreds of years ago, remains one of the main shrines of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

And a major center of spiritual life. For big ones Religious holidays Not only Crimean Armenians, but also their compatriots from other countries come to Surb Khach.
Visit the ancient monastery too.
Touch the shrine and drink plenty from the sources of Wisdom, Courage and Love.

How to find yourself in the old Crimea? After all, the past cannot be returned without a time machine. There is an exit! In mountainous Taurida you find yourself in Old Crimea. The Armenian monastery will point the way to the pretty old town. The religious complex is the pride of the Armenian communities of Sudak and it is located between these resorts, if you drive along R-23. The beauty of the church is visible in many photos.

Where is Surb-Khach located in Old Crimea?

Old Crimea is located on the territory of the Kirov region of the republic - at the foot of the Holy Cross Mountain (Monastyrskaya). The Churuk-Su river runs down from it. At the top of the same wooded hill, the tourist will notice the silhouette of the Apostolic Church. To the north of the sacred place, in Kozya Balka, you can also visit.

Monastery on the map of Crimea

History of the formation of the monastery

In the 13th century, with the permission of the Horde, Armenians came to Taurida from the city of Ani, destroyed by an earthquake. They settled the Mongol-Tatar headquarters on the peninsula - the city of Kyrym (formed on the site of the Byzantine city of Karsan).

The first mention of the temple erected here dates back to the 14th century. One day, the leader of the migrant community (Hovhannes Sebastatsi) received a sign: a huge fiery cross. Like all Orthodox Monophysites (always observing this sign), members of the Soldaya diaspora immediately named the monastery Surb-Khach. From the Armenian language this is translated accordingly - “holy cross”. They placed their relic on the roof - a cross from the main temple of the city of Ani, built in the 4th century.

Thus began the history of another Church of the Holy Cross. For a long time it was associated with constant destruction - Genoese, Tatar, Turkish. The fraternal corps was quickly rebuilt. Even more cells appeared. The monastery became a temporary home for all those suffering who were persecuted for Monophysitism and Christianity in general.

The above-mentioned historical monument has been on the state register of Ukraine since 1963. Today, any vandalism against its buildings is prosecuted under the law of the Russian Federation.

What is the Armenian monastery interesting for tourists?

The Armenian monastery of Surb-Khach is a functioning monastery. Accordingly, women are prohibited from entering its new buildings and utility rooms. Only the perfectly preserved remains of the ancient building are open for viewing - the fraternal building (cells), the refectory, patio and fountains.

But the area in front of the architectural landmark of Old Crimea is the place where Monophysite Christians of any gender celebrate Vardar (the Armenian equivalent of the holiday dedicated to Ivan Kupala) in mid-July.
At the beautiful portal, on the “red” days of the Armenian Apostolic calendar, exhibitions of masterpieces of folk crafts and even concerts of folk groups are held.

To the sounds of the duduk, Armenians from all over the CIS, and sometimes from foreign countries, gather in the parking lot. Often, the organizers of events at this religious complex are residents of the city district. Moreover, any guest of the celebration, regardless of nationality and religion, can attend every part of the ritual celebration, including dousing.

To remember their visit to Surb Khach, tourists usually fill a bottle with water blessed by the local Catholicos. She escapes through a conduit coming straight from the wall of the religious building. The Armenian monastery in Old Crimea at the entrance is decorated with steles with ritual Armenian carvings. In the surrounding monastery garden you can see the plan of the entire complex. The music of worship services can be heard from here.

How to get to Surb-Khach?

Mount Monastyrskaya (Ukrainian name - Grytsa) - a fragment of the northern slope Crimean mountains. From other Tauride cities you can get to it along the P-29 or P-23 road. Travelers moving from the villages of the Kirov region get here along the narrow Privetnoye - Stary Krym highway.

Having got off at the Old Crimea bus station, they get to the temple in the following way. We need to continue moving along the highway to the west. Where Lenin Street flows into it, you need to turn towards the mountain and exit the village along the nearest lane (walk 700 m). After crossing the Churuk-Su River, the path will continue with a special road that takes you to the spiritual treasure of the Armenian people. The ascent will take 3.3 km.

By car you can get to the monastery from Sudak like this:

From Feodosia, to get to the monastery, you need to overcome the following path:

Note to tourists

• Address: Old Crimea, Kirovsky district, Crimea, Russia.
• Coordinates: 45°0′2″N (45.000459), 35°3′45″E (35.062593).
• Phone: +7-36555-5-13-50.

The Armenian monastery of Surb-Khach is a place of pilgrimage for adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church from all over the world. But he collected quite a lot warm reviews and at international forums. Their authors are not only Armenians. Many vacationers and history buffs only remembered the names of nearby villages thanks to this monastery. Note - main feature Surb-Khach is a good observation deck (the temple is at the “upstream” of a deep ravine). From the prevailing height there is a view of the entire Old Crimea and some parts of the northern slope of the Tauride Mountains. Thousands of visitors took photographs from here. Finally, look short video about this attraction.

A few kilometers from the southern outskirts of Old Crimea there is Mount Grytsya (665 meters, also called Monastyrskaya or Holy). On the slopes of this mountain is located the Armenian monastery of Surb-Khach, probably the most famous religious site of the Armenian church, along with the Church of St. Hripsime in Yalta, on the Crimean peninsula. The name of the monastery can be translated into Russian as “Holy Cross”. An architectural monument since 1963. A religious monument of the Armenian people for eight centuries.

Crimean Armenians and the Surb-Khach monastery

The appearance of Armenians in the interior of the Crimean Peninsula is associated with the religious doctrine of the Genoese authorities, who sought to bring them under one symbol of faith - in in this case Catholic - the entire motley population of their Crimean colonies. And indeed, under the Genoese flag, Jews, Greeks, Tatars, Italians and Armenians traded in port cities - all enterprising nationalities who knew their business and knew how to trade.

The influx of Armenians to Crimea in the 12th-13th centuries was associated with the mass emigration of this people from their homeland, which was subject to countless invasions of nomadic hordes, the Seljuks, the Mongols, Tokhtamysh, Tamerlane, and rival Persian and Ottoman military leaders. In the Middle Ages, Armenia was an arena for the struggle of large eastern despotic formations, succeeding each other in the flashing decades. It was not easy for Armenians to live, let alone prosper, in their homeland.

In Crimea, the Armenians founded their strong community, which, under pressure from the Genoese authorities, slowly moved in the 14th-15th centuries closer to the expanses of the Inner Range of the Crimean Mountains. However, even under the current conditions, the Armenians maintained a strong position in the flourishing Cafe (today Feodosia).

To this day, in the Topolevka area you can see two Armenian churches of this period: Surb-Sargiz and Surb-Urbat. In the area of ​​the village of Bogatoye there are the ruins of Surb-Egiya. Unlike these holy places for Armenians in Crimea, Surb-Khach, despite the destruction that wars and time brought, was restored.

History of the Surb-Khach Monastery

The founding of the Surb-Khach monastery can be dated back to the 14th century AD, to a time when the Crimean Armenian community still had significant influence and means to erect objects of this scale. Over time, Surb-Khach became the center of a diocese, whose religious authority extended to the entire Crimean peninsula and the northern Black Sea region. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this religious center for Armenians. But with the arrival of Russian troops in Crimea, the usual way of life of all segments of the population of the peninsula collapses. The highest clergy moves to the Armenian enclave in the Caucasus - Nakhichevan. The throne of the eparch also left Surb-Khach, but despite the loss of its central position, Surb-Khach remains an important center of the cultural and spiritual life of the Armenians. In addition, the monastery owned large plots of land.

According to legend, monk Hovhannes Sebastatsi saw at the site of the future location of the monastery, more precisely, its main cathedral church, fiery cross (hence the name Surb-Khach - “Holy Cross”). Thus, Sebastatsi became the spiritual founder of the monastery. The Surb-Nshan temple at the monastery was built in the middle of the 14th century, at the end of the 17th century XVIII centuries the refectory and cell for the brethren were completed, the entire complex is being actively rebuilt. Apparently, the Armenians found a common language with the supreme power of the Crimean Khanate - Surb-Khach is thriving.

The pause associated with the move of the throne to Nakhichevan did not have a negative impact on the monastery. It’s a pity that the same cannot be said about the 1917 revolution. Due to the fact that Crimea remained in the hands of the white army for a long time, the monastery continued to exist by inertia.

After the revolution, the Surb-Khach monastery lived out its last years as a functioning monastery. The terror was followed by famine, then numerous confiscations and, finally, the closure of the monastery in 1925. There was devastation and destruction; there were murders of members of the brethren. In the vicinity of the monastery, where, according to stories, the body of a monk killed by the new government was found, a tree is decorated in memory of the innocent victim.

Before World War II, within the walls of Surb-Khach there was a pioneer camp and a tuberculosis sanatorium. The war brought new destruction, but even after the fighting, time continued to methodically destroy the unique cultural and architectural ensemble. No one was involved in the slightest degree in preserving the monastery, albeit not out of religious zeal, but in order to preserve the rare beauty of the architectural complex. Even despite the fact that Surb-Khach became an architectural monument since 1963, and since 1979 - a state-protected object, the attention of the Crimean authorities did not turn towards the cultural monument, which was inexorably destroyed by time and people.

And only in the eighties of the last century they started talking about the restoration of the Surb-Khach monastery - and the wind of change swept through these places; We also started talking about spirituality. After gaining independence, Armenia became interested in its cultural heritage on the Crimean Peninsula. Specialists were sent here to assess the scale of restoration work. Throughout the nineties, the complex was actively rebuilt and updated. In 1994, regular services began in the main church of the Surb-Nshan monastery, which had been held sporadically since the previous year. Since 2002, the entire architectural complex of the Surb-Khach monastery has passed into the fold of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Surb-Khach Monastery and its architecture in our time

Previously, the monastery quite resembled a fortress. High, strong walls surrounded Surb-Khach; inside the ring of walls, powerful stone buildings, so familiar to people of the Middle Ages, prevailed. After reconstruction, the spirit of the time came to life within the walls of the oldest Armenian monastery. The monastery looks austere and invites spiritual exercises.

The complex of buildings includes the oldest building of the Surb-Khach monastery - main church complex Surb-Nshan (Church of the Sign). This is the oldest building of the monastery. Based on the inscription made in 1358 on the dome of the church, it can be argued that the construction of this church can be dated at least to the mid-14th century, because the inscription on the drum holding the dome of the temple is dated 1358. At that time it was the only building of the monastery.

Adjacent to the main temple is a large rectangular vestibule (gavit in Armenian), which is quite different from the vestibules Orthodox churches- it is difficult to determine its purpose at first glance. Gavit was added to Surb-Nshan a little later - in 1401. It seemed to have swallowed up the original, carved portal with seven steps that served as the main entrance to the temple. There are two entrances to the vestibule, equipped with stone stairs - on the southern and western sides. Khachkars and images of crosses on stones are built into the walls of the gavit. Inside the vestibule on the second tier there was a bell tower, to which a stone staircase leads. The shape of the bell tower is unusual for Orthodox architecture - rectangular with a single slope roof. The church is crowned with a pyramidal shape and a dome with a cross on top. This is the highest point of the Surb-Khach monastery.

The Surb-Nshan Church faces east with a central apse, which is hidden in the thickness of the eastern wall. The refectory, built in the 17th century, faces the other direction - to the west. Researchers believe that earlier buildings existed on the site of the refectory. The beautiful arched ceilings are in keeping with the tastes of Gothic architecture. The refectory had a second floor, not used as a kitchen or dining room, apparently intended for guests, and a basement floor. In the northern part of the refectory there is a stove. There is also an inscription made by the cook and dated 1762. The gatekeeper's room adjoins the southern wall of the refectory of the Surb-Khach monastery. Between this room and the cell building there is an entrance to the monastery with two door portals. Above the entrance there is an inscription dated 1684.

At the end of the 17th century, a two-story cell for the monks was built perpendicular to the refectory. Its eastern wing abutted the southern façade of the gavit, and its western wing abutted the refectory. Thus, the inner courtyard of the monastery was formed. The cells on the second floor had access to an open gallery, which has not been preserved, but the stones that served as the basis for the wooden supports of the gallery, which opened onto the courtyard, have been preserved. From the cells on the first floor you can get an idea of ​​them - very small rooms equipped with a fireplace and chimney. To the south of the cells is the monastery hotel, built to accommodate the increased flow of pilgrims in the 19th century. It was completely destroyed during the war, but was rebuilt at the end of the last century during reconstruction.

Fountains of the Surb-Khach monastery

At one time, the Surb-Khach monastery was completely surrounded by gardens where the brethren worked. Nowadays, in the southwest of the monastery complex you can also see a garden, the main decoration of which is two beautiful old fountains. They, like the garden, are located on terraces descending from the refectory, along which a staircase runs. The fountains are rectangular captages covered in stone, the façade of which is decorated with architectural details. Water is collected in cisterns hidden behind the fountains, to which ceramic pipes in turn lead from springs located in the mountains.

The upper fountain was built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries in a typical Armenian style. In the seventies of the last century, a marble slab decorated with the image of angels carrying a ritual vessel and a cross disappeared from the fountain forever. The second fountain is located below. It is also richly decorated and bordered at the top with an arch. In the center of the composition you can see the Armenian cross.

How to get to the Surb-Khach monastery

The most natural way to get to the Surb-Khach monastery is from Old Crimea, and walking along beautiful places It will not be long or tiring (about three and a half kilometers with a slight increase in terrain). But if you still want to come there by your own transport, then, in the case of driving from Simferopol, you need, before reaching Old Crimea, turn at the sign “Surb-Khach 3 km”. An asphalt road will lead you through the forest to the monastery, where you can find a parking lot, after which you can begin sightseeing of this beautiful monastery, unusual for the Orthodox eye. When driving from Feodosia, you need to drive through Old Crimea along the Feodosia-Simferopol highway and turn left at the turn described above.

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Lady History so decreed that medieval Crimea became a second homeland for the Armenian settlers. Starting from the 10th–11th centuries, fleeing the Seljuk Turks, Armenians appeared on the peninsula. The activities of the Armenian colonies left a deep mark on the history and cultural development of Crimea. Evidence of this is the medieval architectural monuments in Feodosia, Sudak, Old Crimea, most of which, unfortunately, are now on the verge of complete destruction.

Several interesting Armenian monuments are strung like pearls on a string of the Feodosia highway. They are easily accessible by car.

The first on our way will be Church of the Savior in the village of Bogaty. The remains of a large beautiful temple are located outside the village, on a hillock among old chestnut trees. The temple dates back to the 14th century. Initially he bore the name of the Savior; in the second half of the 19th century. there was a monastery of St. Ilya, where people came not only to pray, but also to improve their health, to relax among beautiful nature Kuchuk-Karasu valley. Despite significant damage, many interesting architectural details are still preserved. From them one can judge its former beauty and grandeur. The walls and vault are decorated with elaborate stone carvings. The relief images at the altar are based on gospel scenes. The vault of the temple is unusual: at the edges it is pointed (“gable”), and in the center it is cross-shaped, consisting of four vaults, “meeting” at the highest point. From the dark, low rooms located behind the apse, steps in the thickness of the wall lead to another chamber under the roof. This monument is interesting because it combines elements of national Armenian architecture (for example, ornamental stone carvings, reliefs instead of wall painting) and Western European (extended form of basilica near the building, cross vault on ribs).

The next stop is in the village of Topolevka. Here, on the top of the hill, there is a fairly well-preserved Armenian church. As the inscription carved above the entrance says, church in the name of St. Paraskeva built in 1702. The architecture of the church is very laconic. Earthquakes are frequent in Armenia, this natural feature dictated architectural features: few protruding parts, differences in height, windows; the apse is openly attached to the main volume; Sedimentary seams were used at joints. From interior decoration There is almost nothing left of the church, only small fragments of stone carvings have survived. From old descriptions we can learn that above the entrance to the church there was an image of the Mother of God with the Divine Child, inside, to the right of the altar, there was also an icon of the Mother of God and a cruciform stone font, and on the left was an icon of the Archangel Gabriel. After the resettlement of Crimean Christians to the Azov region in 1778, the temple was abandoned. In the 19th century The territory on which the church is located belonged to the Trinity-Paraskevievsky Toplovsky Monastery. The nuns took care of the temple, and in 1907 it was restored by the monastery.

Among the more than two dozen Armenian medieval monuments preserved on the Tauride Peninsula, the monastery stands out Surb Khach("Holy Cross") The ensemble of the Surb Khach monastery is one of best works Armenian architects not only in Crimea, but throughout Ukraine. According to one legend, the monastery was founded in the place where people saw a vision in the sky in the form of a cross, and where the cross pointed, a spring with amazingly clear water opened...

“Surb Khach! You are the protection and refuge of our people. You are the only one, there is no one like you... And your appearance and position are marvelous...” - with such poetic appeals, full of hyperbole and oriental floweriness, the Takhans - the Armenian poets of the past - came here. And how right they were, unknown poets! Their beautiful strings amazingly and accurately convey magical music. stone walls, laid out by people gifted by God with beauty, hard work and intelligence. Of course, there was greed and cruelty at that time, but all the vices were hidden, swallowed up by the earth, and the miracle was left to descendants. The forest thicket surrounded the monastery hotel, retaining walls, refectory, terraces and fountains. Inside there is a courtyard paved with cobblestones, in the middle there is a well with clean and fresh spring water. The monastery garden of centuries-old nuts entwined with clematis vines and thorny blackberry vines. The fountains made of Prokones marble are amazing.

The sacred relic of the monastery was the khachkar (Cross-stone), called Surb Khach and, in fact, gave its name to the entire monastery. In the 18th century The Armenians resettled from Crimea took the khachkar with them and installed it in the vicinity of the city of Nor Nakhijevan (now part of Rostov-on-Don), which they founded, in the Surb Khach monastery, built in memory of the Crimean monastery. This ancient relic is kept there to this day.

For many centuries, the monastery was a center of spiritual attraction for Armenians, a shrine, and a place of pilgrimage. In the silence of the monastery, icon painters, book copyists, miniaturists worked, historical chronicles were compiled, poets wrote, Armenian scientists taught and created.

And although the buildings of the monastery suffered from various disasters - earthquakes, ruin at the end of the 15th century. by the Ottoman Turks, raids by treasure hunters after the liquidation of the monastery in the 30s of the 20th century, conversion into a pioneer camp, a warehouse - nevertheless, restoration work preserved the main buildings of the complex in their almost original appearance.

Unique artifacts - architectural details, household items - are exhibited in the monastery courtyards, the result is a kind of lapidary, i.e. stone exhibition.

Those that have reached us the oldest building The monastery is the temple of Surb Nshan (Holy Sign). According to the construction inscription carved on the drum of the dome, the temple was founded in 1358 by the monk Hovhannes, his brothers and associates. Hovhannes Sebastatsi (a native of Sebastia or Sevast) was the spiritual leader of the Armenians of Crimea from the 40s to the 80s of the 14th century. The Dominican Dortelli d'Ascoli, who visited Surb Khach in the 30s of the 17th century, was surprised by the beauty of the temple and considered it a structure worthy of Rome itself.

From the Surb Khach monastery, a forest road leads to the Lesnaya Glush tract to the ruins of the monastery, called Georgievsky in Russian sources, and in Armenian sources - Surb Stefanos. In a four-wheel drive vehicle you can drive directly to the ruins; The journey on foot will take no more than an hour.

In the 1970s, an expedition of archaeologists rediscovered the monastery, or rather its ruins were discovered under a solid pile of stone and soil, in a clearing overgrown with forest. Another one of the first explorers of Crimea, Peter Keppen, probably saw him in this state. He mentioned the ruins of an Armenian monastery four miles from Surb Khach and believed that it was older than Surb Khach. Archaeologists discovered a three-apse temple larger than the Surbhach temple, the remains of the monastery's service and residential premises of different times, and a well. During the excavations, many stone architectural details were also found, including khachkars with Armenian inscriptions.

It is believed that the destruction of Surb Stefanos from earthquakes and landslides served as the basis for the construction of Surb Khach.

It is located in densely growing trees on the mountain slopes near the city, about 3 kilometers away. The extraordinary architectural design of Surb Khach has repeatedly attracted the attention of many artists who depicted the majestic structure on their canvases. The monastery, which reached its 657th anniversary on July 29, 2015, is a holy land for all who seek spirituality and peace. The Surb-Khach monastery has a unique creative power that allowed the Armenians to preserve their religion, faith, and customs.

Geographic coordinates of the Armenian monastery in Old Crimea Surb-Khach on the map of Crimea N 45.0007, E 35.0625

Holy Cross– this is a literal translation of the Surb-Khach monastery. This name was not given in vain. There is a legend that Hovhannes Sebastatsi from the city of Sebastia, having seen a fiery cross in the sky above the earth, decided to found a monastery on this place. Hovhannes and his brother bought land plot measuring 50 hectares among the Genoese and began construction of the monastery in 1358. Throughout the entire period of formation and restoration of the Armenian monastery, a large number of energy and time of architects, icon painters and artists.

According to experts, this construction was due to the numerous resettlement of Armenians from their homeland to the Crimean Peninsula. The buildings of Surb-Khach are very similar to the temples of Armenia, which were built in the 7-8 centuries. During the period from the 17th to the 18th centuries, the Armenian monastery was rebuilt more than once. These changes were reflected on the walls of the monastery in various inscriptions. In the 78th year of the 18th century, the inhabitants of the monastery left it and went to carry out their service in Nakhichevan-on-Don. However, later, through the joint efforts of the Armenian Church, the monastery was revived.

In 1925, the Armenian monastery, in connection with the order Soviet power closed and used for other purposes. In the post-war period, the monastery was subject to serious damage, and only in the 94th year of the 20th century was the monastery restored and parishioners could visit the temple. The Armenian monastery of Surb-Khach consists of a whole complex of buildings: the refectory of the monastery, cells, the Church of Surb-Nshan and fountains and a garden. The Surb-Nshan Church is the heart of the Surb-Khach monastery. Medieval paintings can still be found there today. Adjacent to the church is a gavit, from which there is a stone staircase leading to the bell tower. The gavit room is decorated with various crosses.

The refectory consisted of two halls: the first hall leads to basements, and in the other room there is a fireplace and stove. At the end of the 19th century, a second floor was built above the refectory of the monastery, which was intended for hotel premises.

The cells, or as I also call them, the fraternal building, are located on the south side of the gaviat and the temple. The fraternal building is a two-story building built in the shape of the letter “g”. Several rooms were located below, and on the second floor there is a balcony-gallery standing on wooden columns.
On the territory of Surb-Khach there are stairs and two fountains with spring water flowing. The monastery garden is located on a gentle mountain slope on four terraces.
The Armenian monastery of Surb-Khach is a holy place that attracts not only with its unique architecture, but also with a place where you can find peace of mind, harmony and get rid of all worries. The Armenian monastery of Surb-Khach is part of