Volyn - is one of the most ancient Christian lands of Ancient Rus. The hankering to monasticism to the "narrow way" of salvation arose along with the adoption of Christianity in Russia.

But many centuries have passed before the first strong monastic community with its charter and the first temples appeared, and the bells called people to worship.

Since the first people individually gathered in the woods and caves, to "work for the Lord", to please Him by feat of      abstinence and pray, as well as many works done by them. That was the beginning of monastic life on Mountain Pochayev, which was associated with a specific event - with the Tatar-Mongol invasion, the greatest scourge of Ancient Rus.

There is a miracle in the origin of many mansions - Epiphany of The Most Holy Virgin Mary.

In the ancient chronicles of Pochaevsky monastery there is a record that in 1240, two monks and the villager of Pochaev shepherd Ivan Bosy saw that year, the Epiphany of The Most Holy Virgin Mary standing on a rock Pochayev in a fiery form.

At that place where stood The Most Holy Virgin Mary, a trail of her footsteps was left, filled with clean and healthy water. Then, probably, at the foot of the mountain the stone church of the Assumption of The Most Holy Virgin Mary was constructed by monks.

And then people began to say: "Pocha Diva tvoryty chudesa (Diva began to work miracles)". According to some researchers, in a lively conversational speech "Diva" lost its initial sound "d" and ending "a", and so the two words "Poch Diva" came to one - Pochaev.

Many miracles are associated with Pochayev Lavra. For example, in 1675 the innumerable army of the Turkish Sultan Mohammed IV under the leadership of the Vizier Kara - Mustafa entered Volyn region, destroying everything on their path.

50 000 detachment of cavalry of the Turks and Tatars, following to Lvov, approached the walls of unprotected Pochaevsky monastery. The monastery at that time had no walls, no watchtowers, and a lot of peace of refugees were hiding behind its wooden fence. Turks stormed early in the morning of August, 5.

Hegumen of the monastery Joseph and his monks and the refugees began to serve akathist in front of the Icon of the Mother of God Pochayev.

At this time above the Svyato-Troitskaya Church the Queen of Heaven appeared herself with outstretched omophorion in her hand, with the heavenly Angels and the Venerable Job, diligently praying to God "Let not commend the monastery to captivity".

The Turks saw them themselves and began to shoot arrows at once in these heavenly protectors, but the arrows came back and beat the shooters, then the attackers were horrified and confused and they retreated ...

The main decoration of the monastery - is the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady was built by well-known benefactor of the monastery, Count Nicholas Potocky in 1780. In the Cathedral above the altar in the stellate icon case there is a famous and miraculous Pochaevskaya icon of the Virgin.

Shrine of Lavra - is Lady's Foot (footprint on the dense limestone tuff). Miracle Source, fenced with iron bars and covered the ark, is located inside the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Inside the rocks, under the footprint, there is a cave in which water flows down and drops in the vessels and is distributed among pilgrims.

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