The wonderful caves of Divnogorye

Underground temple structures are rare in Russian culture, but there are quite a few in the Voronezh region. All of them are located along the Don River. The settlement of this territory was slow, with the main obstacle being the proximity to the Crimean Khanate, from where the Tatars constantly raided. Therefore, the creators of the monasteries chose places for worship that were not only secluded but also as safe as possible.

The Central Russian Upland in the Voronezh region consists of white chalk, with a thickness reaching 100-110 meters. In the cliffs, the chalk forms snow-white, completely vertical walls. Nature has adorned these walls with whimsical towers and columns of unusual shapes. Locals call them "divy." Sometimes the steep banks break into a chain of separate conical mountains resembling a giant tent, which are called "shatrišče."

Living permanently in the caves was almost impossible, so over time, convenient above-ground buildings began to be constructed near the cave complexes. Initially, these were wooden, and later stone structures. Since the mid-17th century, there have been three major cave monasteries in the region: the Belogorsky Resurrection, the Shatriščegorsky Transfiguration, and the Uspensky Divnogorsky. People from all over Russia flocked here.

Underground work in this area continued for more than two centuries, both in the monasteries and beyond.

The cave complexes, created over many years despite repeated prohibitions from the authorities, impress not only with their size but also with their artistic merits. Art historians believe that the monasteries on the Don have no direct architectural analogs either in Russia or in the world.