Located 150 kilometers south of Voronezh is the Holy Spassky Women's Monastery, one of the oldest Russian monasteries, founded even before the official acceptance of Christianity in Rus. Here lies the famous Cave of Repentance, where the Sacrament of Confession was held before the revolution. In recent years, by the decision of the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, the monastery has been reopened, a prioress has been appointed, and under the guidance of the ruling bishop, monastic life is being revived. Above-ground churches and living quarters have been built.

The large underground Spassky temple accommodates up to 2000 people, its vaults supported by 12 massive chalk columns. The temple was built in three stages: in the 12th, 16th-17th, and 18th-19th centuries. Before the revolution, it had a fortified entrance, a well, and a concealed emergency exit, allowing it to withstand prolonged sieges. The walls of the temple were carved with cells for hermit monks who led a reclusive life, communicating with pilgrims and monks through small windows for passing food and notes with requests for prayers. Before the revolution, the Spassky hermitage was where the most desperate sinners were sent for confession. After 1917, the hermitage was closed. The last hermit in the Cave of Repentance was Father Peter, who disappeared in 1937 and was rumored to have been shot at the place where he heard confessions.

The narrow vaults of the Cave of Repentance, low ceilings, and long corridor adorned with icons and candles helped pilgrims to humble themselves and leave behind the hustle and bustle as they approached the place of confession. With each step, the ceiling became lower, and the sinner entered the cell of the elder, bowing in reverence. The penitent was assigned a penance, often involving heavy physical work at the temple.

Elder Peter predicted that the monastery would reopen twice. The first time was during the Great Patriotic War when the hermitage was registered as a parish church for the villages of Kostomarovo and Yudino. Residents took shelter in the caves from bombings. In the 1960s, the temple was closed again, and the building for the nuns was burned down. The caves were subjected to explosions and flooding. The Spassky temple houses the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God, which was shot through by soldiers.

The second revival of the monastery occurred in our days. In June 1997, three nuns settled in a trailer, and the restoration of the monastery began: a small house with cells and a refectory was built. Currently, the construction of a brick sisters' building is nearing completion. In summer, the residents pray in the cave Spassky temple, and in winter, in the above-ground temple in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Seeking of the Lost," built with the support of His Grace the Metropolitan.