Svyatogorsk, Donetsk Province, Ukraine, March 14, 2024
Photo: svlavra.church.ua
The Holy Dormition Monastery in Svyatogorsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk Province marked its 20th anniversary as a lavra on Saturday.
On March 9, 2004, the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church made the historic decision to assign the honorary status of lavra to the monastery, after which it was revived in the 1990s, “which manifested itself both in the restoration of the walls of the buildings and in the organization of monastic life,” the Lavra writes.
“Tens of thousands of pilgrims began to flock to the monastery.”
The Synodal report from 2004 notes that the monastery was granted its lavra status due to its significant influence on the revival of spirituality in Eastern Ukraine both in the historical past and after the fall of the Soviet Union, “promoting the unification of the faithful around canonical Orthodoxy.”
The monastery dates back to at least the early 16th century. It was closed in 1922 and reopened in 1992.
With the Synodal decision of 2004, Ukraine has three lavras. The Kiev Lavra received the status in 1688, and the Pochaev Lavra in 1833. All three are dedicated to the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
In September of last year, the Lavra was given stavropegial status, meaning that although it is within the territory of the Donetsk Diocese, it is now directly under the episcopal authority of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
Unfortuantely, the Svyatogorsk Lavra and its sketes have repeatedly come under attack during the war since last February, suffering considerable damage.
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